Australians are getting screwed at the petrol bowser

Here is the official story by news.com.au

EVERY so often, the price of petrol rises mysteriously. What costs $1.10 on Wednesday costs $1.30 by Saturday. 

Why? The case of the extra 20 cents per litre should be an easy one to solve.

There are only a handful of major fuel retailers in Australia. Caltex and Woolworths are in a joint venture. Coles bought out Shell. Then there are 7-Eleven and BP. These players control the majority of the market.

Just last year the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission announced fuel profit margins were the highest since record-keeping began. “Unreasonably high,” it called prices.

The ACCC is constantly haranguing fuel retailers. A major court action against five petrol retailers was resolved last December with a court forcing them to publicise the numbers in their formerly private price-sharing arrangement. The ACCC also monitors petrol stations and publishes report after report on the state of the industry.

And yet the fuel price cycle repeats and repeats. If you’re in Perth, the petrol price cycle is weekly.

Perth petrol prices.

In Sydney it is slightly longer.

Sydney’s slightly less predictable prices.

In Melbourne the pattern is different again, but across Australia the point is the same — sometimes a whole lot of petrol stations — coincidentally — decide they can’t sell fuel cheaply any more.

And Melbourne is less predictable again.

It is clear something weird is going on. And petrol is far from the only industry where competition is suspiciously mild.

Two big companies that have a big stake in fuel are Woolworths and Coles. They also control a big share of groceries, liquor, and hardware.

Of course, Australia is not a big country. Our population is not large enough to support huge numbers of competitors like they have in America.

The US has dozens of competing supermarkets — Walmart is the biggest and it has less than 30 per cent of the market. Then there’s Kroger and Safeway and Whole Foods, Sprouts, Trader Joes, Dollar Stores, Costco and many, many more.

We, meanwhile, have two major chains, plus Aldi and IGA.

In Australia, Coles and Woolworths pretty much control the groceries, liquor and hardware markets. Picture: AAP Image/Dan PeledSource:AAP

America has dozens of airlines. Delta, United, Southwest, American, JetBlue and Alaska airlines are all big enough to matter. We have Qantas and Virgin. Then there is Jetstar (owned by Qantas), Tiger (owned by Virgin) and a few minor airlines doing regional links.

Not to mention telecommunications, banks and media.

High market concentration is a major risk for low levels of competition. And competition is really important.

COMPETITION — THE KING

Economics says capitalism and free markets work best when companies compete hard on price and quality, always offering us cool new products at better prices. And yeah, they do that. Sometimes. But they also spend a lot of time finding ways to do the opposite. Offer us the same old products at higher and higher prices.

Companies can make big profits in two ways. By being the best competitor, or finding ways to reduce competition in their markets. It should be no surprise when they collude, cheat, or trick us. That’s what the incentives tell them to do.

But when this happens, the point of a free market economy goes out the window. Instead of the benefits of markets coming to us, the consumers, the benefits stay in the pockets of those big companies. This is why we have to make sure competition is razor sharp.

At any domestic airport in Australia you’ll see the same brands over and over again. There’s not much variety and very little competition. Picture: Nicole GarmstonSource:News Corp Australia

ADVANCE AUSTRALIA FAIRLY SLOWLY

So what are we doing to maximise competition? The answer is not enough. The ACCC does what it can. It has around 100 investigations going and has recently taken to court companies trying to subvert competition in the cement, high voltage cables, ball bearings and credit card industries.

The head of the ACCC recently said it simply can’t do more. “Our resources are very limited and our investigators are fully stretched. Our most difficult issue is to decide what to investigate and what not to.”

It seems clear we should give the ACCC more oomph.

A big set of legal changes to help electrify competition is due to go through the Senate soon — probably after the election. Will they be enough to prevent our economy from falling into the hands of two or three big companies? I don’t know. One way we may be able to tell they’re working is if the mystery of the rising petrol price is never heard of again.

The kid who sued Victoria

For those who have had 'harm' done against them by 'persons' representing the state of Victoria, this kid's actions should be jotted down.

These persons may include, Victoria Police, Victorian Sheriff - Brendan Facey, a court's registrar, a judicial clerk/Magistrate, prosecutor and many more.

The action is to Sue, SUe, SUE!!!

It may be fortunate/unfortunate that other circumstances have to this 'person' being brought before the courts, but that is not the primary focus of this post.


From article of  5 May 2016 by news.com.au of the headline:

Beau Abela faces court for theft after he successfully sued the Victorian Government

(text only)
 
HE IS the kid who single-handedly sued an entire state and got away with hundreds of thousands of dollars and a free car. 

But when will Beau Abela start taking responsibility for his actions?

He blamed the Victorian Government because he couldn’t read or write and his illiteracy saw him fall behind his classmates.

He ended up with a generous compensation to set him up for his future, but he is still unemployed and it seems he has learnt little from the experience.

The boy who sued Victoria has turned to a life of crime and it seems the state won’t be able to save him this time.

HOW A KID SUED A STATE
In 2007 a chubby baby-faced kid peered over a book and declared war on Victoria.

He blamed the state for the fact he was illiterate and that marked the beginning of an eight-year long court battle with the government.

He was a 14-year-old kid who felt like he had not much of a life ahead of him.



He couldn’t read a bus timetable or a menu and even just counting to 10 was a challenge.

Beau blamed the Victorian Education Department for taking away his future, as his primary school, Panton Hills in outer Melbourne, should not have let him progress to high school because he had an intellectual disability and struggled with his reading and writing.

At the time Beau announced his action against the government, he said he would never get an apprenticeship and his father, Peter Abela, said “the government failed my son” and “Beau was cheated of his education”.

When Beau was in grade three, parent/teacher notes said he would sometimes lash out in the playground.

The notes stated he was “extremely reluctant” to talk in front of the class and he needed a great deal of encouragement and assistance.

During the eight-year court battle, Beau and Mr Abela failed to sue the state but they appealed to the Federal Court and eventually won.

Documents from a court sitting in 2013 state teachers tried to help Beau and Mr Abela grudgingly admitted they did, but said his son needed more.

Mr Abela couldn’t help Beau himself because he also struggled with literacy and numeracy but he said it was the school’s job to educate his son anyway.

Beau also had other problems beyond his reading and writing.

He was also disruptive and court documents from 2013 state when Beau went to Eltham High School, he had some behavioural issues.

Mr Abela told the school “it’s your problem” and that he “didn’t have time for this”.

During his teenage years, Beau went to a number of different high schools and dropped out.

But when he tried to re-enrol in one at Collingwood he wasn’t let in and he blamed the Education Department, claiming he was being discriminated against because of his intellectual disability.

Barrister David Hancock told the Federal Court that Beau “sits at home wondering what to do with his life”.

The Age reported Mr Hancock said the department was in the wrong because it blamed Beau, his family and even his diet for his classroom behaviour.

Mr Hancock said the longer Beau was in school, the more aggressive and disengaged he became.
Last year the case finally came to a close when the Federal Court approved a secret settlement between Beau and the state.

According to the Herald Sun, he won $300,000 to further his education, along with a free car.

But it seems that education has not helped Beau get a job and he has instead turned to a life of crime.

‘STOP MAKING EXCUSES’

Now covered in tattoos with a lip ring and a backwards cap, Beau is still blaming his choices on his illiteracy.

He fronted court yesterday and pleaded guilty to stealing a $2100 Nissan from a carpark in Flinders Lane.

The Herald Sun reports this was the second time he faced court on car theft charges.

Beau complained about still being unemployment and said it was due to his reading and writing skills but Magistrate Tim Burke had no sympathy.

“Don’t use that as an excuse,” he said.

“Use it as motivation to prove everyone wrong.”

The Herald Sun reports Beau stole the car after his own vehicle was impounded.

The 22-year-old was let off with a good behaviour bond without conviction.

Outside court, Beau hid behind a pair of green-rimmed sunglasses and proceeded to stick his middle finger up at cameras.

He did not respond to news.com.au’s attempts to contact him.

Tax office tackles misconduct as fraud hits public service

The Australian Tax Office dealt with almost 300 allegations of fraud, serious misconduct or criminal activity by staff last financial year.

According to documents released under freedom of information laws, a number of staff were fired, resigned or punished after they breached the Australian public service code of conduct.

Personal or family financial problems were the most commonly cited motivation for the tax office fraud.  

The most common allegation was accessing information without authorisation or misusing Commonwealth resources. Staff were also accused of conflicts of interest, abuse of positions, and corruption, although these were not substantiated.

Only 17 of the 295 allegations were confirmed by the tax office, with seven staff, from junior APS4 positions to senior executives, disciplined. Two were fired, two resigned and another three faced salary cuts and reprimands.

The disclosure is a snapshot of fraud in government departments, with the Australian Institute of Criminology reporting up to half a billion dollars were stolen in recent years.

The institute found most instances of fraud involved staff obtaining cash without permission or misusing Commonwealth credit cards.

Personal or family financial problems were the most commonly cited motivation for fraud, along with greed. Other motivations included a belief that the breaches were common practice, a desire to avoid staff cuts, or an ambition to have material to protect their position.

The report found public servants with more than four years' experience and a low security clearance were the most likely to commit occupational fraud.

Last year, a Canberra public servant used a Commonwealth credit card to pay for a sky-diving adventure during a fraudulent taxpayer-funded trip to the Gold Coast.

The court heard she had cost taxpayers more than $37,000 through a series of fraudulent credit card transactions, false claims during a short stint at the Department of Families, Housing,

Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, fake personal leave, and deceptively receiving Centrelink payments.

Bail laws eased for Apex thugs

Migrant youths in Melbourne have formed gangs which terrorise the good people of this country.


In an action that can only be described as a support of violent gang culture, the Australian law makers have deliberately eased laws to let these violent offenders back out into the community.

Many people may not be aware that if you do not pay a parking ticket, accordingto law your matter is a criminal and not civil matter.

Therefore you are a 'criminal' for not paying an 'unlawful' parking ticket.

The actions of Victoria's Attorney-General Martin Pakula (illustration), that indicate support in easing of bail laws against the criminal activities, are an assualt on the well being of the general populous.

Allegedly the government is supposed to make laws for peace, order and good governance.

Actions speak louder than any words.


Is this really a country roamed by criminals free to commit more crimes?

Victoria Police - I don't give a shit about the OATH - Colin Greenland

Ever wonder why the 'Queen's subjects' are being brutally bashed by the police 'force'?

Does the general populous not know that the police in the colonies  were convicts criminals, just really really good behaved ones?

 Does the police still have the mentality of criminals, where they are above the law?

Don't forget Australia's corrupt judicial system leans heavily in favour of the really really good behaved convicts with firearms.

The illustration below shows how police behave towards people, as in Corinna Horvath, where the police beat her 'senseless' - i.e. into a coma.

How is 'justice' served in Australia?

Short answer : - It's NOT.

It took Horvath 20 years with the matter going to an International court called the Human Rights Committee.

In this time one could have died, of old age or other 'natural' causes like being killed by a hitman contracted by the police.

Victoria Police apparently have a manual with policy rules, which also state:

"... protect life and property, prevent offences".

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B21_coIgIYu2TmF5UDNTNnNTZUE

With reference to an oath that EVERY police man/woman must take, a recording of Sargeant Colin GREENLAND can be heard where he states:

"I Don't Give a SHIT about the OATH"


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYAHeeIOTuo

GREENLAND is a Highway patrol officer from Nunawading Highway Patrol.

If you have the misfortune of being stopped by this sociopath, witnesses and hidden recorders are a must.

The OATH is as follows:

OATH OF OFFICE – POLICE OFFICER

I……………………DO SWEAR – THAT – I WILL WELL AND TRULY SERVE – OUR SOVEREIGN LADY THE QUEEN – AS A POLICE OFFICER WITHOUT FAVOUR OR AFFECTION – MALICE OR ILL-WILL – UNTIL I AM LEGALLY DISCHARGED – THAT I WILL SEE AND CAUSE – HER MAJESTY’S PEACE TO BE KEPT AND PRESERVED – AND THAT – I WILL PREVENT TO THE BEST OF MY POWER – ALL OFFENCES AGAINST THAT PEACE – AND THAT – WHILE I CONTINUE TO BE A POLICE OFFICER – I WILL – TO THE BEST OF MY SKILL AND KNOWLEDGE – DISCHARGE ALL THE DUTIES THEREOF – FAITHFULLY – ACCORDING TO LAW.
SO HELP ME GOD.

Ref: http://www.australianpolice.com.au/the-oath-of-office-police/