IF THE art of political rhetoric lies in the persuasive power of metaphor, Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall has a long career ahead.
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In an extraordinary, tub-thumping attack on the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) this week, the greenhorn parliamentarian branded the organisation an “anti-competition eunuch” and claimed it had the “competitive spirit of an oil baron”.
Beneath his florid language was a very simple message: the consumer watchdog has become a chihuahua on the issue of fuel prices.
Like a chihuahua, the ACCC does a lot of yapping about protecting us against predators – in this case fuel retailers.
But when it comes to sinking its teeth into them, it retreats with its tail between its legs.
Mr Marshall is bang-on when he says the yawning disparity between petrol prices in Sydney and his electorate is a disgrace and should be addressed urgently.
The extent of the issue is writ large on price boards across the region and even updated weekly on the NRMA website.
If ACCC researchers had bothered logging on, they would have noticed for the past 40 weeks, Armidale’s average unleaded price has been among the highest in the state, more than 20c more expensive than Sydney’s.
Mr Marshall, and a large chunk of the Armidale community, believe this is a textbook example of anti-competitive pricing.
Yet when he called on the ACCC to investigate the issue, Mr Marshall received a pro-forma, two-page letter peppered with meaningless motherhood statements.
No investigation, no interest.
When The Leader sought a response from the ACCC media department, it received the bizarre “the ACCC does not comment upon correspondence” followed by the same string of motherhood statements sent to Mr Marshall.
Earth to ACCC chairman Rod Sims: this is your chance to stand up for the bush.
Fuel is not a luxury, it’s a staple, Mr Sims.
And if the ACCC won’t even bother looking into compelling evidence of anti-competitive behaviour, then it’s not worth the ink its letterhead is printed on.