Competition law must help the needy: Leigh

A Labor government will pursue competition and consumer policy that focuses on greater assistance for the disadvantaged.

Shadow assistant treasurer Andrew Leigh says a recent competition review for the federal government contained only a handful of mentions about inequality, and only then mostly in passing.

Labor would allow courts to apply higher penalties for conduct that targeted or disproportionately impacted disadvantaged Australians.

Similarly, it would seek to have the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission prioritise investigations when an issue has hit the less well-off.

"Consumer rip-offs are always reprehensible, but they have a different impact on the most affluent compared to the most vulnerable," Dr Leigh said in a speech to the University of Melbourne on Thursday.

A high-income consumer losing a few thousand dollars might be an annoyance, but to a low-income earner it might be life-changing, he said.

Labor would also task the government to investigate the impact of increased market concentration on income inequality in Australia and produce recommendations on how to mitigate their negative effects.

"After a generation of rising inequality, and with the evidence pointing towards increased market concentration, it is vital to look at ways of ensuring that competition works for the neediest," Dr Leigh said.