The effects test for misuse of market power (recommended in the Harper Report and accepted by the Government in March this year) has had a bit of a run in the media over the last week. This was prompted the release of the Productivity Commission’s draft report on the regulation of agriculture last Thursday, which suggested the effects test would do nothing to shield farmers from competition in the retail grocery market and that, even if it did, this would…
Now that we finally have an election outcome (even if Herbert does still remain in doubt), it’s worth considering what this means for the proposed Harper reforms. We know that the Turnbull Government, in September last year, accepted most of the recommendations made in the Harper Report. Following a further consultation, the Government announced (in March 2016) it would also adopt the controversial ‘effects test’ recommended by the Harper Panel in relation to misuse of market power. We also know that Labor opposes the effects…