The Victorian Greens are urging the Victorian government to take steps to control supermarket prices at a state level.
The party cited the Essential Services Commission Act 2001, which they argue gives the government the power to declare an industry to be a regulated industry.
There are currently six inquiries into prices at major supermarket chains, including a federal senate inquiry and a 12-month review from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
But during a motion debate in the state parliament earlier this week, Greens Legislative Council MP Aiv Puglielli said federal government actions would not have serious consequences.
"We are often told... that it is the ACCC's responsibility to address unfair prices or that it is a federal matter, but in fact, when it comes to this kind of regulation, the feds cannot do anything about it," he said.
Victorian Greens Leader Samantha Ratnam said the state government was "shirking its responsibility" with state and federal Labor governments "passing the buck between themselves on the issue".
"If anyone dared to actually speak to the community, they too would hear what we are hearing from the community every single day," Ms Ratnam said.
"When it comes to the crunch, federal governments, including Labor, have failed to implement ACCC recommendations, because they are beholden to the supermarkets."
However, all other major parties opposed the motion, arguing that the pricing controls would further reduce competition.
When asked about the issue during question time in the Lower House, Premier Jacinta Allan referred the matter to her federal counterparts, while Labor Member for Southern Metropolitan Ryan Batchelor dismissed the motion as "a political campaign designed to get clicks on social media".
He said placing price controls would disrupt the market, and smaller local retailers would be disadvantaged.
"What about the profits of the milk bar at the corner, whose price of bread and milk you should be regulating or you might be regulating?" he said.
"And if you are not going to be regulating them but you are going to be forcing supermarkets to have lower prices on their shelves, won't you be driving consumers away from fruit and veg markets?
"Won't you be driving consumers away from shopping at independent retailers who are not subject to your price controls?"
The Nationals Member for Eastern Victoria Melina Bath said it was disingenuous that the Greens would put forward the motion to support farmers but opposed amendments to biosecurity laws.
"I cannot stress highly enough: putting on caps, putting on over-regulation, will not solve this," she said.
"It will not support the family person walking in that door trying to fill enough of the trolley to feed the family for the week."
The motion comes after Woolworths chief executive Brad Banducci announced he would step down from the role earlier this week amid criticism over price gouging.
