Comments on: Petrol facts: It’s too cheap so expect more pain

By: steve martin

steve martin — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

“Australia has the fourth cheapest petrol in the world among major economies of the OECD. Only the US, Mexico and Canada charge more.” - I beg your pardon! Charge LESS you mean.
But I get the drift, but the long distances in Oz mean that cheap or cheaper petrol is essential to keep transport costs from going through the proverbial roof.

By: Tom McLoughlin

Tom McLoughlin — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Good one Janet. Ouch. I for one am buying Rudd’s comment that keeping the election promises does mean the first budget was as far as the govt can go on largesse regarding say petrol price. In principle a govt a govt should be able to say no, and saying yes to all their election promises in the budget is alot of yes, especially given all the economic expert advice to break the election promises. I think they should just burn off some polling fluff and stand firm.

By: lazarus

lazarus — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

When more equals less in the first paragraph why should I believe the figures in the rest of the article? A good case for peer review and not just sub-editor meanderings.

By: Janet Simpson

Janet Simpson — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

At the Sydney Writers’ Festival last Sunday, one of the closing sessions, “The Future of the Liberal Party” was chaired by (Professor) Peter van Onselen, with a panel of Robert Manne, Peter Senior (academics) and Tony Abbott. Tony Abbott rubbished everything Robert Manne said, saying the electorate is not interested in “arcane theory”. Asked by an audience member “does your party have a policy on peak oil?”, he answered, “well, we’d like it to be cheaper…….competiton, lower prices….etc”…….until he was asked “do you not understand the concept of peak oil?”. He bluffed and blustered, but clearly had no idea of what he was talking about (audible gasp from audience). Would someone like to put the same question to Brendan Nelson some time soon? With such frightening levels of ignorance and gung-ho appeals to rank populism, we are all at risk.

By: Sarah Charlton

Sarah Charlton — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Why is the argument about whether to lower prices or not? Why aren’t people advocating raising prices further? This is what should have happened years ago, if we are to provide a disincentive and therefore have a measurable impact on climate change. It is so depressing to see people - and governments - constantly thinking only of their back pockets.