Page 230 - Week 01 - Thursday, 14 February 2019
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especially when all the petrol prices in Canberra, or at least in regions, seem to be very, very similar. It does not stack up that the same trucks delivering the same fuel to different locations in Canberra should cause the disparity that they have. Whilst the rates and land tax regime is responsible for much hardship in the business sector in the ACT, even the extortionate rates and land tax regime cannot be responsible for the petrol price gouge that we have in the ACT.
There is a lot of work that needs to be done. I do not think that we have a good market operating here. There is so much regulation. There is regulation and legislation at every single step of this process, whether you are talking about the importation of oil, the refining process, the transportation process, getting licences or having approvals to open a petrol station. The list goes on and on and on. This is already an extremely regulated market.
Anybody who says that this is an unfair market intervention has to really reflect on this: is this even a market? It is so heavily regulated and so restricted that it is barely a market at present. You cannot just open up a new petrol station easily. You cannot just bring new petrol into the country or new oil into the country easily. The restrictions on new operators mean that this is not a market that is operating well and it is certainly not a market that is operating freely. Critics say this is an unreasonable market interference, but I think this requires a far more detailed analysis than just those glib lines.
We are pleased to participate in this inquiry. We hope that the ACCC and also the ACTÂ government are forthcoming with information that will inform the inquiry. Hopefully, it will lead to some practical steps that we as a legislature can take to put down the pressure on petrol prices in Canberra.
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong) (11.26): The ACT Greens will be happy to support this appointment of a committee today. The Chief Minister has outlined his rationale in bringing this forward, and we agree with those comments. I think this issue has come back onto the public radar because people have just had the annual holiday experience of leaving Canberra, going to other places and realising that petrol is significantly cheaper in other places, for no apparent reason.
Both Ms Le Couteur and I, who were away at various places over the summer holidays, had this conversation when we got back. We were struck by the differences. And I think it does point to the fact that there is some sort of Canberra factor going on here. I think we have all known it for a long time, but it is that annual trip away somewhere that a lot of people go through that brings this back to the fore and reminds us that some Canberra factor is being applied. And, frankly, I do think some petrol outlets in the ACT are gouging their customers. They are taking a profit because they think they can and I think they are taking an unreasonable profit there.
Having this committee look at this range of issues I think is very worth while. There is clearly, as has been touched on, not an easy solution. I think if there had been it would have been implemented by now. Given that the measures that have been taken have not had the effect that we would all desire, I think it is time to think about what further steps can be taken.
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