Source : THE AGE NEWS
By Jessica Yun
When Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton were asked about the price of eggs in Sunday evening’s final leaders’ debate, one politician’s response was way more off-base than the other.
Albanese’s answer of $7 – “if you can find them” – isn’t too far off the mark at all, particularly as egg prices vary widely, but Dutton’s answer of $4.20 is fanciful. It is worth noting, however, that Dutton guessed first, to which the 7News hosts said, “You might get six,” before the PM took a guess.
Australians paid about 12 per cent more for eggs in February than they did in February last year, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics data. The last time egg prices were about $4.20 was in 2018 and 2019.
Depending on where you live and the quality of eggs you’re buying, egg prices can vary significantly. Australia’s current egg shortage can be attributed to avian influenza, or bird flu, which has resulted in more than 1.8 million egg-laying hens being killed. Some industry estimates put this figure closer to 3 million.
Woolworths and Coles, which account for nearly 70 per cent of national supermarket retail sales and which are where most Australians are likely to buy eggs, sell a dozen extra-large cage-free eggs for $5.90, which is among the lowest prices this masthead could find.
Aldi’s website indicates it is selling a dozen extra-large cage eggs for $5.49 and free-range eggs for $6.19.
Both Peter Dutton and the PM had egg on their face during the fourth debate.Credit: Marija Ercegovac
A dozen home-brand extra-large free-range eggs from Woolworths will cost $6.60 and 12 jumbo cage-free eggs from Pace Farm are $8.80.
At Coles, a dozen free-range eggs from Sunny Queen Farms costs $8.50 and the same number of “big brekkie browns” eggs from the same farm cost $10.20.
Those more inclined to organic produce will find a carton of 10 Pirovic free-range jumbo eggs from Harris Farm Markets for $12.99. The same number of organic jumbo eggs from Pirovic costs $16.49.
Credit: Matt Golding
When asked on Monday about whether his $4.20 guess was a bad look, Dutton ducked the question. “Well, I think the point most families have made to us is the cost of everything has come up,” he said.
Dr Jill Sheppard, a senior lecturer of politics at the Australian National University, said voters had already made up their minds at this point in the campaign.
“If they think Dutton is out of touch and too precious to do the grocery shopping, they already think that about him,” she said.
“It’s a competence issue. In the absence of a large-scale policy platform, competence is all you have, an ability to deal with things as they arrive.”
Former prime ministers have been caught out on similar questions about basic pantry items. In 2022, Scott Morrison was asked about the price of a loaf of bread, a litre of petrol and a COVID-19 rapid antigen test.
“I’m not going to pretend to you that I go out each day and I buy a loaf of bread and I buy a litre of milk,” Morrison told Sky News’ Andrew Clennell at the National Press Club. “I’m not going to pretend to you that I do that.”
Former prime minister Scott Morrison won’t pretend he buys bread and milk every day.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
John Howard and Paul Keating were asked by Ray Martin about the price of a litre of milk.
“About $1.30,” said Keating. “No, $1.07 when I last bought it,” Howard cut in. “$1.20,” said Keating.
Albanese has cut a more confident figure on the federal election campaign trail than how he began his 2022 campaign, during which he stumbled on the national interest rate and unemployment rate.
Coles and Woolworths have imposed purchase limits of two cartons per customer in some states. Aldi has no restrictions. Ritchies IGA introduced purchase limits in Victoria mid-last year.
Egg farmer and former Victorian Farmers Federation vice president Danyel Cucinotta previously said there had been some misconceptions that egg farmers were price-gouging.
Under the best-case scenario, supply isn’t expected to normalise for at least another six months, but this could stretch as long as “two to three years minimum” for the egg-laying flock to recover.
One interesting issue around egg prices is the sensitivities involved in talking about it.
Multiple industry groups this masthead spoke to, including Egg Farmers of Australia, pointed to restrictions imposed by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in discussing egg prices.
An ACCC spokesman said businesses had to set prices independently. “Discussions between competitors in relation to pricing can give rise to concerns under either the cartel or concerted practices provisions of the Competition and Consumer Act,” the spokesman said.
“Breaching these provisions of the [act] can attract civil liability [and/or criminal liability in the case of cartel conduct].”
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