The Council of Small Business Australia recently made a submission to the Senate Economics Legislation Committee Inquiry into the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Misuse of Market Power) Bill 2016.
The key points from our submission are:
Certain wording within the Bill has concerned COSBOA members and we believe that sections of the Bill may result in court challenges.
The potential for divestiture of offending businesses should be examined by the ACCC as a policy approach that could enhance operating practices.
We remain concerned by the Federal Court’s recent ruling on Woolworths in relation to unconscionable conduct and the impact this may have on small business people.
Proposals in the 2015 Competition Review do not go far enough in supporting Australian small business people and there should be an ongoing discussion in relation to improving this.
The ACCC must be provided with increased capacity to manage competition.
You can find a link to our full submission here.
