KIERAN GILBERT:
Joining me live now in the studio is the Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury, Andrew Leigh. Thanks for your time. Is this a bit of a worry, the cash splash from the states, Queensland in this case, when it comes to the inflation challenge the government and the country faces right now?
ANDREW LEIGH:
Well, Kieran, I think all relief is welcome for households and all those Queensland households will be seeing tax relief on 1 July, as we put in place a tax cut for all taxpayers. In our last Budget we had the federal support for energy bill relief. That's something we believe is a responsible, targeted cost‑of‑living measure as we look to work in concert with the Reserve Bank to reduce inflation.
GILBERT:
Yeah, that energy bill relief, you can argue, was. This one is for every household, though, yours was targeted. That's not so much, is it? 1,000 dollars for every single household, whether they need it or not.
LEIGH:
I'll leave it to the Queensland government to talk about the specifics of their proposal, Kieran. As you say, it's only just been announced today, but certainly I'm sure-
GILBERT:
Just on the inflationary thing – the inflationary implications, are you worried about that at all?
LEIGH:
I'm sure they've factored that in and I know that the federal government is very keenly working with the Reserve Bank. Indeed the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates that our measures – the increase in rental assistance, the childcare assistance and the energy bill relief – together took about half a percentage point off inflation.
GILBERT:
Yeah, indeed. I guess I just wonder, do the states have this on their radar? You're not a state minister, I know that, but the federal government's obviously got to grapple with this and Jim Chalmers has to in a week and a half when he delivers his third Budget. I just wonder, the states, particularly in an election year, do they give 2 hoots?
LEIGH:
I'm sure they're thinking about it, Kieran. I'm sure they're as keen as the federal government is to tackle the cost‑of‑living crisis and working towards that end.
GILBERT:
On to a few other matters now. One area in your responsibility in your portfolio is competition. You responded to an Economics Committee report recently about a lack of competition in the beer industry and you've said we're paying too much for a schooner. What's going on here? Who's the dominant player here?
LEIGH:
Well, the beer industry in Australia is essentially a duopoly, Kieran, with a number of very small players alongside it. What the House Economics Committee, chaired by Daniel Mulino, with input from people such as Andrew Charlton, noted, was that the impact of that duopoly had been that Australians were paying too much for beer. It's important to make sure that we get more competition into the economy. Beer is just one example of the ambitious competition agenda our government has, with the goal of getting lower prices for consumers, better wages for workers and more productivity, which ultimately drives living standards.
GILBERT:
Are those big players in the beer market – are they squeezing out some of those craft brewers that we're seeing around the country?
LEIGH:
That was some of the evidence that the House Economics Committee heard, Kieran. The suggestion that it can be difficult for the smaller players to get onto taps in some of the big pubs because all of the taps are locked up with the large players, or that the large players are out there with their faux craft beers, making a situation where the real craft beers find it difficult to break into the market.
GILBERT:
On to another matter. You've announced today for consumer and small business advocates to have powers as basically a designated complainant. What is that all about? How does it work?
LEIGH:
It's another Labor competition reform. We've got a big competition reform agenda and this is about providing a fast track price process for small business advocates and consumer advocates to have their views heard. This means that if they've got concerns, for example, about slow payment times for small business or drip pricing on consumers, that they can bring it to the attention of the competition watchdog and have it dealt with in 90 days.
GILBERT:
And, well, that's a good initiative. Let's hope that it has an impact in terms of some of those complaints that consumers and small business have to deal with. Just finally, I've got to get to sport. But you've got a bit of sport happening this weekend for yourself. For viewers who might not know, you've run in many marathons, you've done the Ironman in various places around Australia, and this weekend you've got the Port Macquarie Ironman. I don't know how you do it.
LEIGH:
The Ironman's always a challenging event. 3.8 k swim, 180 k cycle and then a 42 k marathon.
GILBERT:
That's this Sunday.
LEIGH:
Yes, and for a middle‑aged bloke, it's useful to try some things that test your body and give you a bit of a run for your money. If I finish it, I'll be the first politician to finish all 3 Australian Ironman races. So I’m looking forward to giving it a crack.
GILBERT:
So, you've done the other 2 as well, Busselton and where's the other one?
LEIGH:
Busselton and Cairns.
GILBERT:
And Cairns. Wow. Well, good luck.
LEIGH:
Thanks, Kieran.
GILBERT:
Look at that. Testing your body and your mind.
LEIGH:
Thank you. Great to chat.