National fuel strike

[pink poodle]

Price hikes (here mostly through some form of tax) are a quick easy "see...we are doing something" and it also yields a solid bonus for the government. 20+ years of surplus obsessed risk averse governments is the bigger issue. How can people use their cars less if there is no reasonable public transport options? I used to have a bus stop maybe 200m from my house. That entire route was removed earlier this year as part of a public transport make over an privatisation of the bus routes. While it doesn't really effect me, the suburbs now without a bus route are medium-high density areas that you would want buses servicing. Fuck I've gotta reel this in before I go off on a huge fuck me dead we just don't public transport in Australia tangent. Price hike all you wanta though, if people can't get to work any other way they'll still drive.

 

[pink poodle]

If I was government, I would have a task force that would go into the homes of people that constantly complain and remove every unnecessary electrical item to live they own, computers, I-phones, vibrators, even if you own anything over a 2 litre engined car and 1 car per household.

Could you imagine if the government forced energy strikes? Those energy providers need their profits and consumers need their luxury. We are currently at a huge turning point for energy production and distribution in Australia. Unfortunately it is probably going to just be a cluster fuck of stupidity. Further that fat fucker Clive Palmer needs to fuck off with his brainless greed.

 

[Haakon]

. Fuck I've gotta reel this in before I go off on a huge fuck me dead we just don't public transport in Australia tangent.

Yeah, don't get me started on that one... The bullshit this town endured just for one bloody tram line was depressing.

Its doing it backwards of course (reactive is rarely a good way to run a country...), but if the price hikes kicked in anyway (because its an international market...) it "might" be enough to get governments to provide the populace with viable alternatives. Maybe... The cost to the economy of all those people with no transport choice having to plow more and more of their disposal income into transport eventually becomes a problem.

 

[Flow-Rider]

Price hikes (here mostly through some form of tax) are a quick easy "see...we are doing something" and it also yields a solid bonus for the government. 20+ years of surplus obsessed risk averse governments is the bigger issue. How can people use their cars less if there is no reasonable public transport options? I used to have a bus stop maybe 200m from my house. That entire route was removed earlier this year as part of a public transport make over an privatisation of the bus routes. While it doesn't really effect me, the suburbs now without a bus route are medium-high density areas that you would want buses servicing. Fuck I've gotta reel this in before I go off on a huge fuck me dead we just don't public transport in Australia tangent. Price hike all you wanta though, if people can't get to work any other way they'll still drive.

Because a lot of people are silly, for eg. they'll buy or rent a house on the Gold Coast and then want to work in Brisbane. You don't need to own a big heavy 4wd or a high powered V8 as a transporter to work and then complain about fuel prices.

 

[Flow-Rider]

And then, there's the style of driving they do. The attitude of I always want to be in front and need to floor the fuck out of my accelerator pedal just to pull up beside you at the next set of traffic lights.

 

[Binaural]

High petrol prices have forced consumer choices in the past and will in the future. The key economic concept is price elasticity, i.e. how proportional is demand in response to changes in price. Consumer essentials without a direct alternative are pretty inelastic in the short term, rising prices won't make much difference to the quantity demanded. Because cigarettes are addictive, they are also inelastic in the short term. They are both good examples of where government action won't make a big difference in a hurry.

In the long term? Good policy can help encourage things at the margins but it's market forces that always do the real work. Typically, the most government can do is put a floor but not a ceiling to encourage markets to change.

 

[LPG]

I'd like to see all road taxes etc put into the price of petrol. Minimal registration fee but the cost of petrol would be quite higher. Paying taxes is never something people are happy about so they might curb their petrol usage. Once you've paid for your rego, cost of the car, maintenance etc. petrol is ultimately not all that expensive. The petrol cost difference between economical vehicles and not so economical vehicles is pretty minimal in the scheme of things.

 

[Binaural]

@LPG I am pretty sure all federal government revenue is never designated for a particular purpose. This is fine, as earmarks are kind of a bad policy idea as it makes making adjustments harder and government less flexible.

 

[pink poodle]

I'm not advocating a Stalin inspired redistribution of things, but I do feel the government could be a bit more forceful in their approach. Imagine a rapid roll out of mass buses and free access to them for a 5 year period? Maybe a 10 year period...a convenience and savings overload!

Yeah, don't get me started on that one... The bullshit this town endured just for one bloody tram line was depressing.

It is like you know all my triggers. The new tram line here leaves the Canberra fiasco for dead. 2.7km of tram line at a projected cost of $290million (or depending on how you do statistics it $650million). It is now hurtling towards completion after starting in 2014 and there is a law suit kicking off amongst local businesses that have been hit pretty hard from having the entire stretch of road closed for about 2 years. But there is a construction boom along the line, so it's all good. And fuck is it ugly! Grey grey grey grey grey...and a red tram. Whooooooot.

 

[Haakon]

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/...ree-buses-are-revolutionising-one-french-city

 

[pink poodle]

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/...ree-buses-are-revolutionising-one-french-city

Fucking commies. It's like chairman Mao is running the place!

 

[Cardy George]

Everything said in the last few pages is well and good, but what about us regionals?

My choice of vehicle aside, if we don't use the car, we don't leave our property. Well, not me, I ride, but no one in my house is capable of that. Even then there's stuff I can't get to by bike.

 

[pink poodle]

Everything said in the last few pages is well and good, but what about us regionals?

You made your choice (I'm not just talking about those of you keeping it in the family) and I'm sick of subsidising it with my tax dollars. You regional electorates vote in the nationals, live with the reality of their anti-socialist partnership with the liberals. It's time for the harsh reality of free market economics to smash down the poor me attitude of regional Australia. Long live the low prices and great taste of imported foods!

 

[hifiandmtb]

Everything said in the last few pages is well and good, but what about us regionals?

My choice of vehicle aside, if we don't use the car, we don't leave our property. Well, not me, I ride, but no one in my house is capable of that. Even then there's stuff I can't get to by bike.

Alternatives need to exist, simple as that.

But anyone getting in a car is creating a problem to be fixed in the future...science doesn’t care why the CO2 was emitted.

And the continual blurring in the media between the terms “energy” & “electricity”. If the entire electricity grid was green tomorrow, it solves less than half the problem.

 

[Haakon]

Even in regional areas, the range of modern EVs is fine for most use. But otherwise, its just a side effect of living in the country - not actually wanting to be a prick about it, but its just something you'll have to accept and deal with. Add it to the list of fundamental social changes required...

It sucks for sure in the short term, but solutions exist.

 

[hifiandmtb]

And you country folk can deliver us CC-related weather information.

Us here on the other side of the GDR need to know if our fruit & veggies is likely to arrive.

 

[Dales Cannon]

When I was doing the novated lease thing I was paying 51% of the bowser price in real terms. I had very few fucks about the price and variations. These days I am more careful but don't own anything that uses more than 11L/100 (unless towing).

Remove the ability to sal sac fuel and the impact will be measurable.

 

[Cardy George]

Us here on the other side of the GDR need to know if our fruit & veggies is likely to arrive.

That will depend greatly on how long it takes to develop e-vehicles that can move that much load over that much distance.

When that happens I reckon the shortcomings for my situation will be catered for too

 

[Haakon]

That will depend greatly on how long it takes to develop e-vehicles that can move that much load over that much distance.

When that happens I reckon the shortcomings for my situation will be catered for too

Tesla Semi. And a couple of other manufacturers.

Long haul heavy freight with batteries is a thing.

 

[Cardy George]

Tesla Semi. And a couple of other manufacturers.

Long haul heavy freight with batteries is a thing.

Yep yep, I've seen them too, they're just not as prominent as the passenger vehicles