Regarding industry regulation, it'd be anti-competitive, and would be very unlikely to benefit the consumer. Given the compliance and administrative burden of implementing it, it would only serve to drive prices up, at a net cost to the community as a whole.

Bad, bad, bad in terms of economics, and I can't imagine that any government would attempt to introduce such a scheme (it'd be contrary to the National Competition Agreements, for a start).

But I think we're all in furious agreement, as noted by Kiwi.