Kia ora ,
Let's be honest about what's going on.
Prices keep going up. Wages don't keep up. And a small number of big, powerful companies are cashing in.
You feel it every week. At the supermarket checkout. On your power bill. At the petrol pump.
A handful of companies control many of the things you can’t do without. They know you have nowhere else to go - and they can use that power to charge you more than they should.
It's called price gouging. It's unacceptable. And Labour is going to make it illegal.
When people are working hard but still struggling to afford groceries, it can feel like the whole system is stacked against them.
We’re going to change the rules.
We’ll give the Commerce Commission real power to investigate the most powerful companies, take them to court, and make them pay back every dollar they overcharged you.
For the first time, the law will draw a clear line between high prices and unfair, excessive prices.
And this isn't only about families at the checkout. Growers, producers and small suppliers are squeezed by the same corporate giants. We’ll make sure groups representing them can take complaints directly to the Commerce Commission too.
Let's be clear about who this targets. Not your local dairy. Not your local café. Not the tradie down the road. Small businesses are doing it tough too.
This law will crack down on the big end of town - the powerful players in groceries, power, fuel, telecommunications, banking and insurance.
National said they'd fix the cost of living. Instead, it got worse. We can’t afford another three years of Christopher Luxon.
Last year, one in three New Zealand households couldn't afford enough food. That's not bad luck. It's the result of political choices - choices we can make differently.
If a company uses its power to rip you off, we will stop them. As Prime Minister, I'll personally oversee this to make sure it happens fast.
Labour will take on the big companies. We'll take the profit out of price gouging. And we'll put hardworking people first - because that's who this country is for.
Read more about our price gouging policy here.
Better starts now.
Chris
