No petrol Day

[HARKO]

This email was sent to me and I figured here would be a good place to share it ,Please forward it on to as many contacts as you all have...


Hope you can support this campaign, it does affect all of us.

IT HAS BEEN CALCULATED THAT IF EVERYONE IN AUSTRALIA DID NOT PURCHASE
A DROP OF PETROL FOR ONE DAY AND ALL AT THE SAME TIME, THE OIL COMPANIES
WOULD CHOKE ON THEIR STOCKPILES.

AT  THE SAME TIME IT WOULD HIT THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY WITH A NET LOSS
OVER 4.6  BILLION DOLLARS WHICH AFFECTS THE BOTTOM LINES OF THE OIL
COMPANIES.

THEREFORE THURSDAY SEPTEMBER  22nd  HAS  BEEN FORMALLY DECLARED "STICK
IT UP THEIR BEHIND " DAY AND THE PEOPLE OF THIS NATION SHOULD NOT BUY
A SINGLE DROP OF PETROL THAT  DAY.

THE ONLY WAY  THIS CAN BE DONE IS IF YOU FORWARD THIS E-MAIL TO AS
MANY PEOPLE AS YOU  CAN AND AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN TO GET THE WORD OUT.

WAITING ON THE GOVERNMENT TO  STEP IN AND CONTROL THE PRICES IS NOT
GOING TO HAPPEN.  WHAT HAPPENED  TO THE REDUCTION AND CONTROL IN
PRICES THAT THE ARAB NATIONS PROMISED TWO  WEEKS AGO?

REMEMBER ONE  THING, NOT ONLY IS THE PRICE OF PETROL GOING UP BUT AT
THE SAME TIME  AIRLINES ARE FORCED TO RAISE THEIR PRICES, TRUCKING
COMPANIES ARE FORCED  TO RAISE THEIR PRICES WHICH EFFECTS
PRICES ON EVERYTHING THAT IS SHIPPED.   THINGS LIKE FOOD, CLOTHING,
BUILDING SUPPLIES MEDICAL SUPPLIES  ETC.  WHO PAYS IN THE END?  WE DO!

WE CAN MAKE A  DIFFERENCE.  IF THEY DON'T GET THE MESSAGE AFTER ONE
DAY, WE WILL DO  IT AGAIN AND AGAIN.

SO DO YOUR  PART AND SPREAD THE WORD.  FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO
EVERYONE YOU KNOW.   MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND MAKE SEPTEMBER 22nd  A
DAY THAT THE CITIZENS OF AUSTRALIA  "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH"

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

Arrgghhh not again, well I guess the message is getting around a bit these days. I don't think it has been thought out properly though, here's a reply I posted on another board -

Good luck, I'd love to see this happen, but there are a couple of problems.

1. You need a VERY BIG voice to get the message across, full page paper ads and prime time commercials on all tv stations to even make a dent.

2. The petrol companies know that eventually people will NEED to buy fuel, they will just need to store their gear a bit longer.

3. The poor petrol station owners will go broke before the petrol companies get the message.

I don't like "raining on parades", but I have seen this idea floated so many times it's hard not to.

[Sarge]

Glen
     You could be right but we have to start somewhere so don't just give up mate have a crack it cant hurt


Cheers
Sarge

[20.4_seconds]

Hmmm this was supposed to happen on Sept 1st(It didn't)  
I think if  the oil companies get hit for 4.6 billion dollars they will just increase the price of petrol, just to recoup their losses in the first place, so we are screwed either way.
The only way things will change is when the impact of higher petrol prices finally filter through to us consumers, transport companies have warned that it's just around the corner, we are getting slugged at the bowser but we haven't even felt the brunt of it yet. Wait till the retailers have no choice but to increase prices!!! We are only being saved at the moment because of contracts between the supermarkets and the transport companies.
The only way to change it is for everyone to pick up the phone, or write a letter to your local MP and tell him something has to be done.
After all  it's us who gave them the job in the first place....

Having said that I remember about 19 years ago when I was in the army in Ireland and we had to do armed escorts for petrol tankers when the price rocketed. the IRA amongst others began hijacking them....lets hope it doesn't get that far!!!  

p.s I am in favour of it as it will get nationwide attention and maybe the pollies will sit up and take notice

Nick

[JB]

For what it's worth, I also got the same email and have forwarded it to Sunrise on 7. so maybe they will give it a plug... maybe a few more responses to sunrise will force their hand a little and get some air time.

Cheers
Jason.

[FB_MAD]

   Yep I'm in,stuff 'em!!! I've received the same Email from quite a few contacts of mine so it appears its getting around a bit.I'm sure it will make the papers and/or T.V time soon.I'm telling everyone I know.We have got to do something.Sitting on our backsides won't achieve anything!!!
  That sinkhole for taxpayers money (also know as the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission)would rather powder their noses than do their job so this might kick them into line.Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!! Maybe I should have put this in "Rants, Raves and Dummy Spits"...........I feel better now!!!!        Terry.

[Martin]

Don't be misled - the non-fuel-buying day is a token gesture as a protest, that's all it is.  The fuel companies will not lose a cent.  People will use the same amount of fuel that they always use - they'll just buy it a day earlier or a day later.  Isn't that what you will do?  The protest will have no impact at all, other than to confirm how gullible people are.

A protest with a genuine impact would be one in which people do not use their cars at all.  Less fuel would be used, the public transport system could not cope, etc. etc., and the fuel companies (and the resellers) would miss out.  What chance of everybody leaving their cars in the garage for a day?  Not a snow-ball's chance in hell.

Just as useless would be us all phoning our local MP and senator and telling them to get the bloody government to actually govern this crap situation.

That's my view.

Martin

[HARKO]

Hmmm So where does that leave us Martin ?

[FB_MAD]

Jason, your forwarding Email to Sunrise on channel 7 worked.It got a story segment this morning about 6.15 am or so.Didn't get to see how the segment went as I had to leave for work.I see one of the overpaid fat cat Caltex executives was predictively unrepentant when interviewed on T.V. tonight.

[Martin]

Harko,

I know what you're saying:  if we sit back & do nothing, then we get what we deserve.  I won't be buying fuel on the 22nd, as a token gesture - but I don't think it will hurt the fuel companies one bit.  I have also phoned my local federal mp (Liberal) - "Sorry, not available" - and registered my protest.  But, as I said earlier, I don't reckon the Government will govern this issue - and it is about the money:  GST on a litre of fuel at $1.10 is 10 cents, at $1.32 it's 12 cents.  That's 2 cents extra for every litre sold.  How many litres sold in a day?

Grrrrr!  

[RET]

And the GST is the least of it, since that comes back to the states directly.  The lion's share of tax on petrol is excise, which is still worth about 40c/L.

Unfortunately, I agree with Martin, this will be a futile gesture, and frankly I find the logic of the original premise very dodgy. Yes, the just-in-time nature of fuel delivery means that you could theoretically create havoc by ceasing to buy petrol, but it would take a lot longer than a day.  Let's face it, anyone who is feeling the pinch of the fuel price rises who can find ways of reducing their usage is probably already doing so.

Across the road from where I work there is a $10/day parking lot, and it's quickly gone from overflowing to about 70% full.  This is less than 500 yards from Parramatta railway station, so it's clear that the price of fuel has caused a significant number of people to get out of their cars and catch public transport, or car-pool, or whatever.  Nothing like a massive rise in petrol prices to return punters to "the Sydney system"...

cheers
RET

[Martin]

Yep, 38c. per litre fuel excise.

But I'm not certain that ALL the GST scoop goes to the states.  Certainly each state gets a share of the GST windfall, but I reckon the feds keep some, too.  In any case, the more the GST collect builds, less money needs to be found from other sources.  So neither level of government is grizzling about the bonus now being offered.  I do not believe that the either feds or the states do not have the power somewhere in the Consitition of this country to put a lid on fuel prices.

What I find frustrating is that the fuel companies are stealing from us, we know it, and yet we are powerless to stop it - short of leaving the V8s in the garage and driving the "greys" every day.

Grrrr!!!  

[Ed]

...ride a bicycle to work

I ride 17kms each way, every day, your heart, lungs and body will thank you for it, and not a cent goes to the state coffers... not even in road rego.

Cheers

Ed

[nicko]

well it was on A Current Affair also and both morning news channels had experts on who siad it was a waste of time and one also siad it would show John Howard that there is a groundswell of upset voters,so at end of one segment Ray Martin siad it was a good idea as did at least two other experts,.
i dont think its EVER a waste of time to scare our governments into putting pressure on price gougers and there own policies,
sit back and ignore= no change
sit up and be counted = everyone takes note.

[Ed]

what exactly is sitting up and being counted??

the question still remains, what sort of positive action will make a difference.

no petrol day?  nope, besides identifying alot of unhappy ppl, it doesn't make any impact where revenue is more important than short term unhappiness.

until the heavy reliance on the motor car is broken, most of society is still held captive by their cars.  taxes are aimed fair and square at heavy reliance items.. take for example alcohol, cigarettes and petrol.

there just needs to be a whole shift in paradigm of how people get about... infrastructure for light rail systems etc.

the Govt IMHO doesnt give a toss about the price of petrol, for it encourages less use which is exactly what they want.

living in the city you see a whole lot more scooters and motorcycles than ever before (which is great).

do we really need millions of cars with drivers only commuting every day??
how about incentive schemes for car pooling?

high petrol proces have done one thing, and that is to bring the question of sustainability into the foreground, and that's a good thing.

my 2 cents.

Ed

[Flamed_FE]

It's not the buying of petrol - it's the use of Petrol.  Organise a no petrol usage for a week and then the petrol companies may decide to take note - but the odds of getting enough people to not drive to make an impact is buckleys and none.  The other problem you have is the more you advertise the event the better prepared the oil companies are to deal with it and so they lose nothing.

[JB]

Hey Ed,

Is that your 2 cents worth with the 4 cent discount or before... Perhaps 8 cents with the woolworths thing and a visa card.  

[slim]

Maybe if politicians were forced to pay for there own fuel for a while theyd think twice about the poorer folk in this country. ..I support not buying fuel on the 22nd even if it is a token gesture , It has to start somewhere. A token gesture is better than no gesture... Better to have some lubricant than to just cop it dry.... Just my 2cents per litre worth. !!!!!

[Ed]

Hey Ed,

Is that your 2 cents worth with the 4 cent discount or before... Perhaps 8 cents with the woolworths thing and a visa card.  

Indeed Jason it is my shop-a-docket!
good rant huh??

Cheers

Ed

[Motörhead]

Hmmm it seems that we're damned if we make a stand on Sept 22nd AND damned if we don't make a stand. :-/ Personally I won't be buying fuel on that day, pointless and futile that it may be.

That's my 2 cents worth for the day....minus the Safeway/Woolworths discount as that discount only entitles us to crappy petrol blends from China and Indonesia with too much ethanol for good measure.  

Pete