Nationals push for $10m fines and ability to break up Coles and Woolworths if they abuse market power

Nationals leader David Littleproud has revealed he has had ‘initial talks’ with Labor about competition law reforms the Coalition ‘were moving to but were too slow’. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

David Littleproud has offered to help Labor bolster competition law protections for farmers and suppliers in a bid to prevent potential abuses of market power by Australia’s big supermarkets.

The Nationals leader proposes making the grocery code of conduct compulsory, boosting penalties to a “punitive” $10m maximum and adding powers to break up grocery giants in the event of misconduct.