Anika Wells MP on Today Show
E&OE TRANSCRIPT
TODAY SHOW – NEWS CHAT
SATURDAY, 3 FEBRUARY 2024
SUBJECTS: Grocery prices, filming in gyms, plane pet peeves
HOST CLINT STANAWAY: Anika to you. The major supermarkets have been accused of price gouging. Of course, we know that your government has put them on notice. Are they to blame here?
MINISTER FOR AGED CARE AND SPORT, ANIKA WELLS: Well, we need to find out who is. We need a good look under the bonnet about what's going on. Because like you say, this is a real pressure point for Australian households. I was at Stafford City Shops for a mobile office earlier this week and this is what I'm hearing too. So like you say, we've directed the ACCC to get in there and work out what's going on is the expectation.
STANAWAY: Surely the expectation is that it won't happen overnight?
WELLS: No, it's going to have to be a thorough investigation because we want to solve it, don't we? We want to fix this, and we want to make sure that Aussies are getting a fair cheque at the checkout. So ACCC is on the case now they're going to look at retail, supply, wholesale. They're going to look at the rise of online marketing, online sales. They're going to look at remote and regional areas. We'll get into it properly.
STANAWAY: Clinton to you… is enough being done to support struggling Aussies?
PANELIST – CLINTON MAYNARD: I don't think so. And I'm sorry, Minister, I don't have much confidence in the ACCC, look at petrol prices over the decades and how many inquiries the ACCC has held into petrol prices? Nothing's changed. I think we've got to take a bit of responsibility in being smarter with how we shop. For instance, last night I went to my local supermarket. They had grapes for $4.95 a kilo. Why were they $4.95 a kilo? When three weeks ago they were $8? Because suddenly grapes are in season. So I think we've been lucky over the years as we've got access to so much wonderful fresh produce. But if we were buying when things are actually cheap and in season, we'd actually save ourselves a bit of money.
STANAWAY: So empowering the consumer to do more. Meanwhile, a Melbourne gym owner has now declared war on influencers, banning tripods and filming workouts without a media pass. Tony Doherty, the controversial owner of Doherty's gym, took to Instagram to declare the new rules. Here he is today. "I want to talk about the tripods or the scourge of the tripods It seems that more and more people want to bring the tripod along to the gym, set up a little studio to record their workout, whether it be because they want to become an influencer or they want to cheque their form or send it off to their coach, it's just becoming increasingly disruptive". So he calls tripods a trip hazard and said filming workouts is a privacy issue. Clinton is this fair enough?
MAYNARD: 100% good on him? As you can see, I haven't been to the gym since 1993. There were no such things as mobile phones in 1993, so no one was taking videos with a tripod in 93. You don't need to do it.
STANAWAY: And I don't know, Anika, you can film your flex can't you?
WELLS: Look, I stand with Tony and now with Clinton, but maybe for another reason. I go to one of those gyms where it's a class set up. Our instructor does do a filming of everyone and their efforts for the supercut. I never make the supercut, I never make it, and I'm sore about it. So, I reckon cameras at a gym… find a different way.
STANAWAY: Don't they know who you are?
WELLS: I think they're probably trying to shield me. They're trying to protect me and my terrible, terrible, you know, walking lunges.
STANAWAY: I'm sure the form is great Anika. One more this morning. They say life is about the journey, not the destination. But new research has revealed Aussies are suffering on their travels, two thirds experiencing undesirable behaviour on flights. Screaming children was the number one plane peeve. Other travel gripes include having their seat kicked, passengers reclining during meal times, hygiene issues as well. Anika, what's your ultimate plane peeve? You do a lot of travel.
WELLS: Oh, sitting on the tarmac indefinitely with no air con going is mine. And in Queensland that does make a difference. But I also look after Brisbane Airport. So thousands of airport workers and I must say, you know, for every flight you're on where that screaming child ruins your experience, that's their workplace. That's their every flight. So big shout out to them.
STANAWAY: Clinton, for me, it's people who stand up as soon as that seat belt, the seat belt sign, you know, that's me.
MAYNARD: That's me. I want to get off the plane.
STANAWAY: I want to stay on the plane. You're not getting off the plane until the doors open
MAYNARD: No. I hate being in the aisle seat and sitting next to somebody who's the window seat who has a bladder problem and needs to get past your every five minutes.
STANWAY: That’s also me. Also, the baggage carousel. People sort of like getting in and, you know, get out of the way. Jeez. You're impatient. Thanks, Anika. You're not. You're lovely. We love having you on. Thanks so much for joining us on Weekend Today.
