Politicisation of cost of living 'disappointing': Coles chair

The news: Coles chair James Graham said it has been "disappointing" that cost-of-living issues have been politicised and targeted at supermarket operations. He reiterated that the supermarket group will defend allegations that it misled consumers over price discounts.

The context: Speaking at the company's annual general meeting this morning, Graham noted that the case brought against both Coles and Woolworths by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, is in "sharp contrast to the level of engagement and support of supermarkets by governments and regulators during the Covid lock down years".

What they said: "That experience and the results of working together in the face of floods, bushfires and other natural disasters have shown the benefits of constructive engagement between business and governments, which is hopefully the template for the future when it comes to addressing the impacts of complex issues like inflation," Graham said.