The private operators in the Job Network program and nowadays called Jobactive providers, have been showing just what a caring lot they are, by bullying those who come to them after losing their jobs because of the Coronavirus epidemic. They didn’t give two hoots that the nation was in lockdown and there were no jobs going. Continue reading Government promotes the bullying of people on JobSeeker payments
By Joe Montero
The Reserve Bank’s latest forecasts have shed the optimism that was there only a few months ago, and forecast a downward slide for Australia’s economy. A lot of blame is being put by them and others on the Covid-19 outbreak. It has contributed. But this is far from the whole story, which is telling us that a quick bounce back is not on the cards. Continue reading The Australian economy is not going to suddenly fix itself
In the very early hours of 3 May, an armed group headed towards the shore of Venezuela by boat. They landed at La Guaira, in the country’s north, just 32 kilometres from the capital Caracas. Their intention was to carry out a military coup. Continue reading Another coup against Venezuela has been attempted and defeated
By Adam Carlton
A United Nations (UN) human rights expert warned on 1 May, that the Israeli government’s plan to annex significant parts of the West Bank Palestinian territories and East Jerusalem, is going to undermine any prospect of a negotiated settlement and guarantee ongoing conflict. Continue reading Israeli’s annexation plans are entirely unacceptable to the world
This year, instead of the usual activities held during the week around 1 May, the main focus was on a Webinar held on Sunday 3 May. It went well, despite the occasional technical hitch. Those who joined in responded quite enthusiastically, and the resolution read out was approved by overwhelming acclaim.
The clip below takes a little while to start. Please be patient. It will come, despite the occasional technical hitch. The clip below takes a little while to start.
By Joe Montero
Covid-19 is making people sick, and worse. Some are dying. This will have a lasting impact on our community. On top of this, people are suffering the effect it is having on their standard of living, and this is set to get worse. Continue reading Pandemic is leaving people worse off and with an increasingly insecure future
Unknown to most people in Australia, Julian Assange’s hearing in London resumed on 27 April via video link, because of the Covid-19 lock down. Judge Vanessa Baraitser had decided to start the second stage of the hearing on 18 May. The pandemic social distancing rule has got in the way, and the judge has had to postpone. In the following interview with Mohamed Elmaazi on Sputnik, made on the same day, author and active supporter of Julian Assange journalist, John Rees talks about the postponement, and the farce being carried out in the name of the law, a well as the push to have Julian released from prison as protection. Before going to the interview, watch the following documentary. Continue reading Journalist John Rees describes ‘farcical’ experience of listening to Assange’s hearing by audio link
Venezuela has been one of the most with the greatest success in combatting the Covid-19 pandemic. They have done better than other countries on the South American continent, and better than North America, Europe, Australian many other places. There have been far fewer deaths. Meanwhile Brazil on one side, and Colombia on the other, are the worst affected. This is remarkable, given the blockade being waged against Venezuela by the United Sates. And the resulting critical shortage of medicine. They did get some thanks to generous donations form Cuba and China. Then the United States set a naval armada to stop more coming in. It is still there. What is the secret? Early action, voluntary lock down and isolation, house to house mass tasting, mobilisation of the population and generous social subsidies.
Jonathan Watts (The Guardian 23 April 2020) write about the call by Greta Thunberg and others to use the experience of Covid-19 to take the climate crisis and work towards sustainable economies that protect the health of people and the planet. This happened yesterday (22 April) on World Earth Day 2020. Continue reading Greta Thunberg calls for new path after pandemic
Petrol prices at the bowser are still not falling in line with the plummeting global price, and it was only a few weeks ago, that the industry was shamed into pulling them down.
At a time when the Coronavirus is disrupting just about everyone’s life and bringing hardship, the industry came across as callous and greedy. People started to talk about price gouging and the need to pull together and share the burden fairly.
That it’s till going on is a scandal.
It is too easy to just blame the local service station. The reality is much bigger than this. Service stations are locked into partnerships with big oil companies, and the local level operators are only small players in the game, with limited power over price.
In its latest petrol industry report ofthe Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), service station operators are blamed for the still too high prices. Higher prices in the country are blamed on transport costs and there not being enough other service stations to provide competition. There maty be an element of this. but it only part of it.
Chairperson, Rod Sims says in it: “At this time the Australian economy needs all the assistance it can get, and lower world crude oil prices are one of the few positives from current world events”.
The overarching role of the oil companies and the big petrol station chains are left out.
Most of the price is set at the wholesale level. The oil companies take a cut from all levels in the supply chain, from taking the crude out of the ground, to refining, to distribution. They own each stage. By far the biggest portion of every dollar paid at the bowser goes to them.
According to the ACC’s own data, the breakdown of the price is 57 percent up to the refined product. A small 9 percent goes to the wholesaler and retail levels. Then the government imposes a 34 percent tax. These combined makes up the price paid at the bowser.
A large share of the service stations are owned the Cole Group, Caltex, BO, Woolworths Group, 7-Eleven, which means, it is a group of large retailers and oil companies that set the final retail price.
NRMA spokesman, Peter Khoury, hit it close to the mark. “Freight costs for petrol should only be 1 or 2 cents a litre, and that is being generous to the oil companies,” he said.
“Freight costs for petrol should only be 1 or 2 cents a litre, and that is being generous to the oil companies,” he said.
“There is at least some evidence that prices are falling in some regions, which is good, but overall it is taking too long for prices to fall.”
Western Australia’s RAC Manager for Vehicles and Fuels, Alex Forrest, pitched in to suggest oil companies should be prepared to cut their margins in the circumstances.
The point is that they are well positioned to operate as a cartel and engage in price fixing. This is what has to be dealt with to overcome price gouging.
