Media Release

KAP Leader and the Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter MP is outraged by the recent media reports that Woolworths are conducting their own 'In-house health checks' using pharmacists and nurses to check such as blood pressure and cholesterol in their stores.

“Beware of the corporates when they come with gifts,” Mr Katter said.

Mr Katter warns pharmacies that they are the next small business the two big supermarkets have in their sights.

“Under the free market polices (= free to mark it up to whatever they feel like!) Woolworths and Coles are now not just grocers, but butchers, bakers, florists, fruit and veg markets, clothing stores, newsagencies and service stations and now they want to take on the pharmacies – it’s the last bastion left where Australian’s can own their own business.

“One of the last owner operator businesses left standing upright are the pharmacies, and the supermarket giants have got them squarely in their gun sights,” he said.

Mr Katter has continually called on the government to act to stop the supermarket giant’s unbridled market share including asking questions without notice in parliament on the issue of supermarket dominance.

Mr Katter introduced into the Parliament the Reducing Supermarket Dominance Bill 2013 which makes it illegal for the supermarket giants to own more than 20 per cent market share within a group of companies, also addressing the intrusion into hardware, liquor, petrol and other industries such as pharmacies.