Launceston based Senator Tammy Tyrell is again calling for efforts to be made to bring greater competition to the supermarket sector in Tasmania.
It follows the release of findings by consumer group Choice which have confirmed Tasmanians are paying more for groceries than their mainland counterparts, due to a lack of competition.
Senator Tyrell was part of the recent Federal Government inquiry into price gouging and says the results of the study only back up what she’s been saying.
“Competition would ensure that they (Coles and Woolworths) lower their prices, and people could keep a little money in their pockets to pay for things like medical bills and for taking kids to all the appointments that kids have,” she said.
Choice has found a basket of basic staples including bread and cheese costs around 25 percent less at Aldi than Coles and Woolworths, but so far the German supermarket giant has resisted moving into Tasmania.
Senator Tyrell says that needs to change.
“Surely there’s got to be a way that we can entice them down here,” she said.
