FuelWatch

Submitted: Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 10:16
ThreadID: 58128 Views:2662 Replies:9 FollowUps:13
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With a bit of luck this proposal will be dead and buried within a couple of weeks. This proposal will cost everyone in the long-run and is anti-competitive.
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Reply By: Time - Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 10:31

Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 10:31
What has been the experience in WA where Fuelwatch has been in for some time?

I have yet to hear a positive or negative on the WA situation that hasn't been driven by someone with an agenda.

So WA viewers has it been a good or bad experiment.
AnswerID: 306457

Follow Up By: Gone Bush (WA) - Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 13:01

Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 13:01
All it has achieved for the consumer in WA is that you know what the price will be all the next day. The days of erratic hourly price changes have gone. The outlets cannot change their prices once published. One independant got fined huge money for DROPPING his published price to compete with an outlet down the road.

So the people who say it is anti-competitive are absolutely correct.

BUT, and it's a very big BUT, Woolworths have openly said that WA is their most profitable state for fuel because of Fuel Watch.

So, requiring companies to post their prices for all of the next day has not caused prices to drop, it's just removed the frustration factor for the consumer and loaded up the wallets of the suppliers.

And that's the only reason it was introduced, because the public complained about the daily, hourly, price fluctuations.
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Follow Up By: The Landy - Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 14:39

Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 14:39
Hi Gone Bush

Spot on....The government gave the masses what they asked for (as distinct from the best solution); an end to the daily price fluctuations. That has come at the cost of loosing deeper discounts for the savvy buyers.

The Woolworth's example, which they have openly admitted to, highlights that they do not discount fuel to the same level as they do elsewhere. This has lead to enhanced profitablility.

I'm a firm believer in the equation that more government intervention + regulation = higher costs to all.
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Follow Up By: Member - David P (VIC) - Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 19:14

Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 19:14
Like I said before on this subject, the pollies, motoring club reps and ACCC are elected and therefore feel they must be seen to be doing something.
Now it has come to pass, instead of vigorous competition which was predictable, at least in Vic., now we have a bureaucratic empire in the making which will have to be funded by us!. By the way Samuel (ACCC) is up for contract renewal , say no more.....cheers,
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Reply By: Best Off Road - Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 10:52

Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 10:52
I have heard two differing views on this.

David Harding from the RACV says it won't work.

Graeme Samuel from the ACCC says it will on average save motorists 1.9 cents per litre.

These chaps do not get along at all well, each effectively calling the other a penile masseuse.

Assuming Samuel is right, this bloody great hoo ha over fuel watch has the potential to save the average motorist $1 to $2 per week. It's a complete bloody waste of time.

Jim.
AnswerID: 306462

Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 11:26

Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 11:26
Hi Jim

I think the problem is that both are correct and are not explaining the position correctly.

Its cheaper (just) for everyone because the average price over the week is down.

I.E. Those that don't care much about price (company cars etc) get it cheaper on average cause they don't wait for the low prices anyway.

However for those that shop around and wait until price is lowest , lose because the minimum doesn't go as low as it would have.

Hence those that need the cheapest price most lose, but isn't
this always the way.
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Reply By: zacc - Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 11:18

Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 11:18
i am in w.a and it has not stopped the prices going up . they should give the job to me , and i can get paid and do nothing aswell. must be mates of mates , it is just like what the goverment do about smokers . they advertise that it is bad and so on but will never do any thing about it as they are making to much money out of it . like taxes they will never be serious about that either like the old saying goes WHY CUT OFF THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU. the only time anything realy gets done is near an election, then they promise this and that , have a big spend up of our money and put pressure on interest rates as there spending gets included in our spending.
AnswerID: 306464

Reply By: Isuzumu - Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 11:36

Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 11:36
All I can say is RUDD IS FULL OF CHIT he won't listen to anyone, four gov depts told him it won't work. And the alcopops tax, this morning they are down by 40% and bottled sprits are up 25%, go figger.

Cheers Bruce
AnswerID: 306466

Follow Up By: Robnicko - Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 12:30

Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 12:30
I agree with you............Rudd is very quick to add on a tax yet when it comes to removing one boy can he drag his knuckles.

The fuel commisioner was on 3aw last week and he said that Australia imports 22% of its oil with te=he remaining 78% being local. Why cant we base our price on the local product at 78% and import price at 22% then combine the 2. Most south american countries and Saudi do this. Iranians are not paying close to $2 per litre of diesel. they only pay about 2 cents per litre. Seems like thier governments look after thier people unlike our tax hungy fatcats.


Rob
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Follow Up By: Kumunara (NT) - Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 13:09

Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 13:09
Robnicko


Keating introduced fuel parity pricing. It is really a tax.

Howard when he introduced the GST promised he would remove all other taxes. He didnt remove the fuel parity pricing so we are now paying a tax on a tax.

Kevin Dudd will continue with the fuel parity and the GST because he like all other politicians love taxes. If he was honest and serious he would remove the fuel parity pricing.



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Follow Up By: Best Off Road - Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 15:11

Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 15:11
Tjilpi,

World parity fuel pricing was actually introduced in 1979 by the then Treasurer, one John Winston Howard.

I well recall in 1980 during my first year at Uni driving around with a dirty big sticker on my car that said PETROL CRISIS A GOVT FRAUD.

This was at a time that we were almost totally oil self sufficient and it was farcical that we should have be paying a tax to make our own oil as expensive as the rest of the world.

For that reason Keating nicknamed Howard "His Oiliness".

Jim.

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Follow Up By: Shaker - Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 20:17

Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 20:17
Keating had his chance to do something about it, why didn't he??
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Follow Up By: Shaker - Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 20:18

Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 20:18
Sorry, I forgot ... .He was too busy organising the "recession that we had to have", my mistake!
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Follow Up By: Kumunara (NT) - Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 20:26

Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 20:26
Jim


I stand corrected. My point is however valid and that is once a tax is implemented neither party will remove it.

Fuel should be GST exempt or the GST should remain and the fuel parity pricing removed. To have them both is a tax on a tax.



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Follow Up By: Best Off Road - Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 20:52

Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 20:52
Tjilpi,

I agree entirely. A tax on a tax is just simply wrong.

As for removal of taxes, well I've never known a government to do it. Still, I'm happy to pay tax if it is used well.

As I read somewhere.....

"A fine is a tax for doing something wrong, A tax is a fine for doing something right."

Regards,

Jim.

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Follow Up By: Best Off Road - Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 20:55

Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 20:55
Shaker,

Let your bias go.

You generally post some good stuff.

Jim.

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Follow Up By: On Patrol - Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 21:20

Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 21:20
They have ALL had a chance to fix it and have NOT.

I ask you all which party is the better?
A: nether, they are just different by name only.

So quit griping about this or that party, they all need the money to fund expenses, none of them are going to change anything. Nelson is saying they will remove the GST on the tariff, BULL SHYTE, they had 12 years to do it and did they?. Some of us older folk will remember 3x3 introduced in 1985 3c/lt over three years leading up to the bi centenary in 1988. That tax was NEVER removed we are still paying it 20 years later.
So please dont insult our collective intelligence by saying any party is better than the other.
Colin. JMHO
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Reply By: Motherhen - Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 13:26

Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 13:26
Another WA view - I don't think fuel watch is anti competitive. They only have to set the price one day in advance. The motorist can then choose where to buy the fuel.

Gone are the days of a servo setting an extremely low price, have someone announce the tip on a local radio station, and all and sundry rush to the suburb. The queue was extreme, and the fuel ran out or price went back up.

Anyone can look up on the or phone fuel watch to find the best price in the area. That is competitive. We can even register to get daily, weekly or monthly emails of prices for the fuel and places we select to make it easy.

If in the other states, you have been getting a big discount on one day of the week, then the people who need to buy on a different day would be paying more to cover the cost of the discount day.

Give fuel watch a go - pick the best price in your area, and that will put pressure on the others to come near to that servo. Politics these days is all about knocking what the other side says - ignore the politics, and use the benefits from the fuel watch scheme.

The servo proprietor has to make a living too.

Motherhen

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AnswerID: 306494

Reply By: Kiwi & "Mahindra" - Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 14:32

Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 14:32
Its a crazy thing the govt telling us that they want to save us money....so how about the feds stop pocketing so much of the money......
We use to have a sign up when fuel was 90cpl that the govt would get close to 50 cents of that.....what ever the percentage was Im assuming its the same today if not worse.....

but fuel watch...i reckon from what the people in WA say....it may be a good idea.....but I feel for the little fella's....

Laura
AnswerID: 306510

Reply By: Shaker - Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 20:20

Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 20:20
With a Prime Minister that says that the reason fuel is costing us so much, is that we spend too much time in traffic, what hope do we have?
AnswerID: 306590

Reply By: Gramps (NSW) - Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 20:24

Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 20:24
Bugga !!! If they bring in Fuelwatch, what on Earth am I going to spend that $60/annum on? I might just be able to retire early with all that lovely money :((((

AnswerID: 306593

Reply By: Patrol22 - Friday, May 30, 2008 at 17:54

Friday, May 30, 2008 at 17:54
Reckon it's time to move on folks. The fuel price is hurting me as much as anyone else but I'm a realist. There is nothing governments can do about this - it is merely a feature of the great capitalist market system of economics, and until something better is found (and that hasn't happened since Adam Smith was a lad) we are stuck with it. Sure the government could lower or drop the excise - but that would just result in another tax somewhere else on something else - or heaven forbid a jump in income tax! The machinery of government must keep turning and that cost money. The alternative is anarchy! Get over it and move on to another issue....lift your right foot a little off the throttle, ride a pushy to work, something....anything...just stop trying to give yourselves ulcers worrying about the price of fuel.
AnswerID: 306787

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