ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb has vowed to target petrol and food retailers who exploit anxiety from recent flood disasters, the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine to gouge prices.
In her first broadcast interview since being appointed, Ms Cass-Gottlieb urged consumers to dob in retailers who jack up prices adding to household pain caused by supply blockages, inflation and surging global oil prices being passed on at the petrol bowser.
"We are focused to ensure that there is not action by businesses colluding and taking anti-competitive steps under the cover of these crises," Ms Cass-Gottlieb told the ABC.
"We are certainly hearing the concerns from consumers in relation to petrol price and groceries.
"Wherever there are misleading and deceptive complaints, they can bring them to the commission's attention.
Murdoch ties 'severed'
The former corporate lawyer is the first female chair in the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's history, following the recent retirement of Rod Sims from the role, and previous chairs Graeme Samuel and Allan Fels.
But Ms Cass-Gottlieb played down the gender issue, citing women who have been appointed to lower-level commissioner roles at the regulator.
"You are right that I am the first woman chair, which might lead to comments in relation to 'blokeyness'. But I am honoured, delighted and excited by the opportunity."
Ms Cass-Gottlieb's appointment was slammed by former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd, who cited former corporate clients from her previous career, notably the Murdoch family and the trust that manages its holdings.
"Cass-Gottlieb is a long-serving Murdoch family associate and a former personal lawyer to Lachlan Murdoch and director of the trustee administering the powerful Murdoch Family Trust," Mr Rudd was quoted by the Financial Review as saying last year.
"The ACCC chair's responsibilities include policing monopolisation and approving mergers and acquisitions, including in the media industry.
But Ms Cass-Gottlieb argued there was no conflict and that all links had been cut, adding that other past clients included the ABC and SBS.
"Firstly, all links are severed. I have no ongoing position, no ongoing retainers. This is my full-time job and my absolute commitment," she said.
Cryptocurrency, big tech focus
Ms Cass-Gottlieb said she would maintain the pressure on tech titans, with the ACCC's action against Facebook parent Meta about to get underway in the Federal Court.
Meta has been accused of allowing Facebook to carry misleading statements where celebrities have had their profiles hijacked to endorse high-risk cryptocurrency schemes.
More broadly, she said cryptocurrencies would be a key focus, with the ACCC chair saying the regulator would attempt to ensure consumers are protected from scams and dangerous practices where risks outweigh rewards.
Ms Cass-Gottlieb also committed to target "greenwashing" by companies falsely claiming to have green credentials.
