Former Greens MP Max Chandler‑Mather has unveiled a $25 billion plan that would see more than 200 Coles and Woolworths supermarkets taken into public ownership, alongside the creation of hundreds of government‑run grocery stores.
Drawing inspiration from New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s publicly‑owned grocery model, Chandler‑Mather—head of the Greens Institute, the party’s think‑tank—proposes using new forced‑divestiture laws to acquire major supermarket sites and three distribution hubs.
The proposal would also fund 424 additional supermarkets and ten distribution centres, together accounting for roughly 20 % of the current commercial grocery market, forming a non‑profit network.
The new stores, branded “Fair Go Grocers,” would cut the average shopping bill by up to 22 %—about $60 a week for a family of four—and would offer steep discounts on essentials such as fruit, vegetables, bread, milk and meat.
A new statutory authority would be created to set monthly retail prices and minimum wholesale rates for suppliers, staffed by experts in supermarket operations, nutrition, food science and agriculture.
Capital costs—including land acquisition, construction and purchase—would be covered by the federal government, with stores sited in regions of greatest need.
The plan carries an upfront cost of $25.1 billion over five years, after which the stores are expected to become self‑sufficient and no further taxpayer funding would be required.
For perspective, the government currently spends roughly $24 billion annually on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
He said, “Children are going to school hungry, families are skipping meals and people are cutting back on essentials because Labor has allowed Coles and Woolworths to raise prices for extra profit, regardless of the human cost.”
He added, “Food is as essential as health care and education. It is time we had a public option for food, just as we have Medicare and public schools.”
A poll found that 84 % of voters either strongly or somewhat supported trialling publicly owned supermarkets in Australia, while only 16 % were opposed.
Support was highest among voters aged 25‑34 (88 %), Greens supporters (96 %) and women (88 %).
Greens leader David Shoebridge, under pressure to boost the party’s profile, welcomed the proposal, saying the Greens should concentrate on improving people’s material conditions, the environment and community.
He told Guardian Australia, “A publicly owned supermarket offering cheaper food is wildly popular because it improves people’s lives.”
“Of course this is the sort of policy we should be discussing right now.”
He said Mamdani’s message that government should address citizens’ needs was resonating.
He added, “When I talk to people, I hear about the dread they feel heading down the supermarket aisle; the shopping trolley feels like pushing a boulder up to the checkout.”
He continued, “While 99 % of us are paying more for food and many are having to choose between food and other essentials, the 1 % who own Coles and Woolies are laughing.”
The competition watchdog has pursued legal action against both Coles and Woolworths for false or misleading discount claims, and a recent report ranked them among the most profitable grocery retailers globally.
The Greens contend that Labor’s recent price‑capping legislation has failed to lower consumer costs, calling the measures ineffective.
