Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Conroy in his capacity as Minister representing the Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs and relates to the GROCERYchoice website. At its launch in August this year, the GROCERYchoice site was attracting 3.3 million hits a month and now receives an average of 104,000 hits a month. The site has been roundly criticised in the media for failing to provide helpful information for consumers. These reports have included claims that the site does not provide a list of the cheapest supermarkets in any given area but, rather, simply tells which supermarket chain on average is cheaper than other chains in any given area. The reports have also made it clear that the site also lumps independent supermarkets in together, treating them as though they were one entity, even though they may have different owners and different prices. Given that the site is costing some $13 million over the next four years, could the minister update the Senate as to the status of negotiations between the government, the ACCC and the consumer organisation Choice regarding the possible takeover of the GROCERYchoice website by Choice?