Greens Want a Public Supermarket — Could It Actually Cut Food Prices?
Could a publicly owned supermarket bring New Zealand grocery prices down?
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson joins The Bradbury Group to explain the Greens’ proposal for a third supermarket competitor with an explicit affordability mandate — and why she argues simply adding another private supermarket would create “three exploiters instead of two.”
The interview also tackles Nicky Hager’s new book Dirty Work, political donations, the Taxpayers’ Union, lobbying, misinformation and the influence of big money on New Zealand politics. Davidson argues declining trust in democracy is being fuelled by opaque political influence and calls for tighter donation limits and greater transparency around lobbying.
In this interview:
• Marama Davidson on the Green Party supermarket policy
• Could a publicly owned supermarket reduce food prices?
• New Zealand’s supermarket duopoly
• Woolworths and Foodstuffs competition
• Food insecurity and the cost-of-living crisis
• An immediate ban on supermarket price gouging
• Nicky Hager’s Dirty Work
• The Taxpayers’ Union and political influence
• Political donations and dark money
• Lobbying transparency
• Trust in New Zealand democracy
• Climate resilience and extreme weather
• Marae as critical Civil Defence infrastructure
• Election 2026
Davidson argues the central difference between another private supermarket and the Greens’ proposal is simple: the public supermarket would have an affordability mandate rather than a private-profit mandate.
Would you shop at a publicly owned supermarket if it offered cheaper groceries?
