Labour vows to ban price gouging by large firms if it wins election
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said the party will make it illegal for big companies to overcharge for essential goods if it forms government after the November vote.
Chris Hipkins told a crowd in Wellington that Labour will outlaw price gouging by large companies if it secures a governing majority after the upcoming general election. The policy would criminalise excessive pricing on essential items—including food, electricity, fuel, transport, telecommunications, banking and insurance—and give the Commerce Commission stronger powers to investigate and penalise offenders. Companies found guilty would have to pay fines and return any surplus profit, according to the party’s draft.
Arena Williams highlighted that butter prices have risen 58%, bread 45% and mince 30% since the previous government took office, leaving almost a third of households unable to afford sufficient food. The measure is designed to target a handful of dominant firms while leaving the 97% of small businesses untouched. Labour also criticised Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s cost-of-living promises as out of touch. The announcement follows the Green Party’s call to nationalise supermarkets under a new state-run chain called KiwiMart.
Why it matters
It could reshape pricing rules for essential goods and affect large retailers if Labour wins the election.
How the sides frame it
HIGH AGREEMENTBoth camps report Labour’s proposal to ban price-gouging by large firms, but the centrist coverage presents it as a pledge to make excessive pricing illegal, while the right-leaning coverage emphasizes the policy’s criminalisation details, rising food costs and the targeting of dominant firms.
CENTER
Centrist coverage frames the story as Labour promising to ban big companies from charging excessive prices, noting that most businesses are small and would be unaffected.
RIGHT
Right-leaning coverage frames the story as Labour vowing to outlaw price-gouging, stressing the criminalisation of excessive pricing, rising costs of essentials, and the focus on a handful of dominant firms.
The right emphasises
- The policy would criminalise excessive pricing on essential items such as food, electricity, fuel, transport, telecommunications, banking and insurance.
- Arena Williams highlighted steep price rises - butter up 58 %, bread 45 %, mince 30 % - leaving many households unable to afford food.
- The measure targets a handful of dominant firms and gives the Commerce Commission stronger investigative powers.
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