Why Bother

[Bird]

Why are they bothering? What are they going to do?? Name and Shame both fuel companies? Maybe tell every single living and probably dead Australian what we already know?

The stupidity levels in the Australian Gov since the dawn of time is just so far off the scale it cant be registered. Im lost for words.

And then to sick the ACCC - is the most worthless waste of time in the history of .. existance on the fuel companies is just dumb.

ACCC to probe petrol price fixing (The fuel companies are shuddering at this point)...

The competition watchdog has begun a formal investigation into whether major fuel retailers are involved in price fixing.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says it has concerns over petrol retailers' current practice of frequently exchanging private and comprehensive price information.

The Commission believes the arrangement may be lessening competition by allowing petrol retailers to quickly signal price movements and monitor competitors' responses.

In a statement on the ACCC website, commissioner Joe Dimasi said the watchdog is concerned fuel retailers may have breached the Competition and Consumer Act 2010.

"The ACCC has put the industry on notice for some time about its concerns in this area," he said.

ACCC chairman Rod Sims says a dedicated team has been assigned to investigate the matter.

"While the ACCC does not usually comment on its current investigations, the ACCC considered it appropriate to inform the public that it is undertaking this investigation given the significant public interest regarding petrol pricing," he said.

Mr Sims says the fuel industry has been on notice for some time that the price-sharing arrangement may be stifling competition

In 2007 the ACCC's petrol price inquiry found an imbalance in pricing transparency which affected competition.

The watchdog says it expects the current investigation will be complex, and could take some time.

[McGirr]

We must take into consideration the employment created by this in depth and very long, time consuming investigation that will produce a complex 8000 page report with 1000 recommendations that will not be adhered to. Gee I might see if they need any one to help.

I expect my kids, kids will have the benefit of the findings.. 

Mark

[GeoffA]

I expect my kids, kids will have the benefit of the findings..

You're an optimist............

Maybe they should get FWA to do the probe and prepare the report........

[krisandkev]

I could save them all of the trouble.  Just lower the fuel tax. 
I forgot, they cannot do that because they use all of that tax on our roads! 
Kevin

[cancan]

Its a pity we dont produce oil in australia....imagine how much cheaper it would be then

[Robertsons]

Its a pity we dont produce oil in australia....imagine how much cheaper it would be then

We do husband use to cart it 4 trailers at a time. Its out far western Qld and far north east SA.

[Bird]

[Mallory Black]

It kills me when we have our price set against an oil price standard in the Singapore market, then the Aussie dollar doing things in it's exchange rate and this all  mostly driven by factors from markets in other countries and ultimately affects price at the pump, right?
BUT why is it that prices spike on Australian and sometimes State public holiday weekends.
So bloody obvious but the regulators are too gutless to go hard on that question and call a spade a spade to them

[Nomad]

Coles and Woolies couldn't give a flying fuk about the ACCC or anyone else for that matter, same as the banks.

I have dealt with both over a sale of a piece of land, Some of the behaviour of one of the parties was f..ing disgusting.

[WannaBe]

We do husband use to cart it 4 trailers at a time. Its out far western Qld and far north east SA.

We do produce oil, but two things:-
1. Not enough to supply the whole country, and
2. The oil grade is not good for petrol production, usually for lower grade oils and lubricants.

[Fridge Magnet]

Why are they bothering? What are they going to do?? Name and Shame both fuel companies?

Agreed. Endless investigations, followed by insubstantial reports. Seems like they haven't even thought about what the implications are if they establish any evidence of collusion. 

[Bird]

Coles and Woolies couldn't give a flying fuk about the ACCC or anyone else for that matter, same as the banks.

x trillionteenty... Thats my whole point..

Not if but when they are found guilty (not that the report released to the public will say that 100% fact), the gov will beat their chest (**** what a horrible thought Anything but an AK47 beating on Gillards Chest) and say SEE WE TOLD YOU THERES NOTHING.. ITS A MIRACLE THAT EVERY SINGLE HOLIDAY JUST HAPPENS TO FALL ON THE DAY OF TEH PRICE CYCLE THAT CHANGES TO SUIT THE HOLIDAYS...

.... and theres not a ****in thing anyone can do about it.

[Crockett]

as the title says 

[albany_nomads]

QUOTE: ts a pity we dont produce oil in australia....imagine how much cheaper it would be then

I see this thread is about fuel costs and price fixing
Now I run my Rodeo on LPG and just recently it (LPG) had a price hike and they said its because of the increase Saudi LPG price or some crap.
So here we are we produce our own LPG as well as LNG and yet we have to pay the market price for the use of our countries resource

I BET IN SAUDI ARABIA they dont pay the world market price for there unleaded and diesel fuel more likely about 50C Australian per litre compered to our $1.50 plus per litre 

[Hairs]

What a joke, really, what is going to happen?
rudd gave us the fuel commissioner, what does that useless buggar do?
On $300K watching the price go up and watching it come down a little and watching it go up again.
This a PR exercise to make someone feel good, whether that be a polly or a bureaucratic.
Australia is a wealthy country and everybody wants a piece of it.
This is the ACCC justifying their own existence.

[Bill]

How about we take the (free) fuel cards off all the politicians so they have to pay for all thier own fuel.
Maybe then they will do something about the fuel prices...
Bill and Morag

[Chris-Vi]

Just a joke to keep us quite for a while.
Why not include banks as well? They are doing their own thing now with interest rates and the government is too gutless to stand up to them. Profits from both are in the billions and they still cry poor. 

[terravista]

All the oil companies or servo's have to do is have thier "opposition" as a client, and notify them of impending fuel price changes by email.
From what I have been told is this is not collusion, and therefor not illegal.
Years ago, the companies would sit down with a beer, or over a game of golf, and discuss price tactics. That was collusion and made illegal.
I can't see the ACCC doing anything for what is a legal practice of notifying your client of price changes.
That is my understanding, and may be wrong, but I will defend my right to be wrong until Gillard makes that illegal.
Cheers

[Squalo]

That is my understanding, and may be wrong, but I will defend my right to be wrong until Gillard makes that illegal.

It'll never happen - she'll instead introduce a Wrong tax, more money to be made that way.

[Bird]

It'll never happen - she'll instead introduce a Wrong tax, more money to be made that way.

Yea, but the lib/lab parties couldnt afford that either!!!

[Mallory Black]

Right now as at the time of this post Americal light sweet crude touched $99.99 a barrell
Has not been under that since sometime in Feb.

(not that it directly affects our oil market but nice to see.
It's up again now but might go lower over night

Make you feel better Lost?

[Jon]

Thanks very much ACCC, but no thanks.
Tell you what, how about you get your boss, the federal government, to give back to the tax payer in the form of reduced fuel levies, all the funding you are going to spend on this complex long term investigation.

Or better still, how about the below idea? That will work.

[peteandkyles]

QUOTE: ts a pity we dont produce oil in australia....imagine how much cheaper it would be then

I see this thread is about fuel costs and price fixing
Now I run my Rodeo on LPG and just recently it (LPG) had a price hike and they said its because of the increase Saudi LPG price or some crap.
So here we are we produce our own LPG as well as LNG and yet we have to pay the market price for the use of our countries resource

I BET IN SAUDI ARABIA they dont pay the world market price for there unleaded and diesel fuel more likely about 50C Australian per litre compered to our $1.50 plus per litre 

LPG price set to soar under tax changes

http://www.smh.com.au/business/lpg-price-set-to-soar-under-tax-changes-20110523-1f0pk.html

I am not if anyone is aware that the LGP tax will be increasing each year until it hits the same rate as fuel excise. Probably something the government doesn't want to discuss publicly or the fact that in 2 years time the carbon tax will also be put on top.