http://www.thepunch.com.au/tags/competition/ Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Petrol-price-wars-rage-on-with-no-end-in-sight/ So the ACCC announced last week an inquiry into the sharing of petrol pricing information by the oil companies, and Coles and Woolworths. Are we to be excited? Well, the motoring bodies came out and welcomed the announcement. A good thing you might say. The only problem is that their reaction is predictable. Sadly, the work of the motoring bodies in exposing the petrol industry games has been very patchy, which has let their members down very badly. Some motoring bodies are consistently very good in going after the petrol industry games while others have been weak preferring to make motherhood statements rather than getting to the heart of the issue. The problem with the motoring bodies is quite simply that some of them are passionate advocates for motorists while others act more like those politicians who try to be everyone’s friend. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Petrol-price-wars-rage-on-with-no-end-in-sight/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Petrol-price-wars-rage-on-with-no-end-in-sight/#item8441 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Have you envied, admired or checked out another woman’s shoes, hair, handbag, clothes, figure or makeup today?  Walked into a party and seen a woman surrounded by men and thought: slut? Breathed a sigh of relief when your ex’s new girlfriend turned out to be fatter, uglier or poorer than you? Welcome to the world of female competition where nothing is as it seems. Competition is not a gender issue - we all compete, men and women, but it’s how it manifests in young girls that grow into adult women that is alarming.  Female competition is covert and under the radar because girls are rarely taught that competing openly with other girls is OK.  By the time most of them hit a team sport where they could potentially be encouraged to openly compete the damage is already done. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/sisters-are-doing-it-to-themselves-and-each-other/ Have you envied, admired or checked out another woman’s shoes, hair, handbag, clothes, figure or makeup today?  Walked into a party and seen a woman surrounded by men and thought: slut? Breathed a sigh of relief when your ex’s new girlfriend turned out to be fatter, uglier or poorer than you? Welcome to the world of female competition where nothing is as it seems. Competition is not a gender issue - we all compete, men and women, but it’s how it manifests in young girls that grow into adult women that is alarming.  Female competition is covert and under the radar because girls are rarely taught that competing openly with other girls is OK.  By the time most of them hit a team sport where they could potentially be encouraged to openly compete the damage is already done. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/sisters-are-doing-it-to-themselves-and-each-other/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/sisters-are-doing-it-to-themselves-and-each-other/#item8436 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Have you envied, admired or checked out another woman’s shoes, hair, handbag, clothes, figure or makeup today?  Walked into a party and seen a woman surrounded by men and thought: slut? Breathed a sigh of relief when your ex’s new girlfriend turned out to be fatter, uglier or poorer than you? Welcome to the world of female competition where nothing is as it seems. Competition is not a gender issue - we all compete, men and women, but it’s how it manifests in young girls that grow into adult women that is alarming.  Female competition is covert and under the radar because girls are rarely taught that competing openly with other girls is OK.  By the time most of them hit a team sport where they could potentially be encouraged to openly compete the damage is already done. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Move-your-money-dont-bank-with-the-losing-team/ Campaigning for better banking is a bit like the start of the footy season. We begin as optimists, trying to forget the disappointments of last year, the unfair penalties and questionable free kicks, hoping instead for some healthy competition. That is where the similarities end. While other national sports have salary caps and at least the semblance of a level playing field, our big four banks have spent the pre-season again demonstrating why they are about as popular as a tram of drunk Collingwood supporters. Recent weeks brought interest rate rises outside of the Reserve Bank cycle and more record profits, set against a backdrop of outsourcing, job losses and tales of high-seas parties that could put “mad Monday” to shame. Even the most hardened optimist would admit there seems more chance of Russell Crowe’s Rabbitohs claiming the NRL trophy than our major banks putting customers first. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Move-your-money-dont-bank-with-the-losing-team/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Move-your-money-dont-bank-with-the-losing-team/#item7931 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Have you envied, admired or checked out another woman’s shoes, hair, handbag, clothes, figure or makeup today?  Walked into a party and seen a woman surrounded by men and thought: slut? Breathed a sigh of relief when your ex’s new girlfriend turned out to be fatter, uglier or poorer than you? Welcome to the world of female competition where nothing is as it seems. Competition is not a gender issue - we all compete, men and women, but it’s how it manifests in young girls that grow into adult women that is alarming.  Female competition is covert and under the radar because girls are rarely taught that competing openly with other girls is OK.  By the time most of them hit a team sport where they could potentially be encouraged to openly compete the damage is already done. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/zumbos-wrap-what-2011-meant-for-small-business/ As 2011 fast comes to an end it’s timely to reflect on the significant policy reforms that gave small businesses a helping hand during the year. Central to these reforms has been the move towards Small Business Commissioners around the country. The year started off with the South Australian Small Business Minister, Tom Koutsantonis, launching a period of wide ranging consultation with small businesses in that State. With South Australia’s draft small business commissioner reforms unveiled in February and explained during information briefing sessions across Adelaide and regional South Australia, there was considerable excitement amongst small business and farmers that they would finally have an independent person to turn to in the event of a dispute with a larger business. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/zumbos-wrap-what-2011-meant-for-small-business/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/zumbos-wrap-what-2011-meant-for-small-business/#item7416 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Have you envied, admired or checked out another woman’s shoes, hair, handbag, clothes, figure or makeup today?  Walked into a party and seen a woman surrounded by men and thought: slut? Breathed a sigh of relief when your ex’s new girlfriend turned out to be fatter, uglier or poorer than you? Welcome to the world of female competition where nothing is as it seems. Competition is not a gender issue - we all compete, men and women, but it’s how it manifests in young girls that grow into adult women that is alarming.  Female competition is covert and under the radar because girls are rarely taught that competing openly with other girls is OK.  By the time most of them hit a team sport where they could potentially be encouraged to openly compete the damage is already done. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Law-the-ultimate-monopoly/ Have you ever taken a case to court? Are you a small business person who has taken a franchisor or a shopping centre landlord to court? Did your lawyers charge you an arm and a leg? Did your legal and court costs spiral out of control? The sad reality is that the cost of justice is now unaffordable for many people including small businesses. With lawyers charging anything up to $1,000 plus an hour for legal advice, it’s clear that the average consumer or small business simply cannot afford to go to a lawyer, let alone to court. There is no shortage of stories where a small business person has been hit with tens of thousands or more of legal costs from their own lawyers. Then there is the potential of having to pay for the other side’s legal costs if the small business person loses. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Law-the-ultimate-monopoly/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Law-the-ultimate-monopoly/#item7208 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Have you envied, admired or checked out another woman’s shoes, hair, handbag, clothes, figure or makeup today?  Walked into a party and seen a woman surrounded by men and thought: slut? Breathed a sigh of relief when your ex’s new girlfriend turned out to be fatter, uglier or poorer than you? Welcome to the world of female competition where nothing is as it seems. Competition is not a gender issue - we all compete, men and women, but it’s how it manifests in young girls that grow into adult women that is alarming.  Female competition is covert and under the radar because girls are rarely taught that competing openly with other girls is OK.  By the time most of them hit a team sport where they could potentially be encouraged to openly compete the damage is already done. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/small-businesses-arent-muppets-theyre-a-big-deal/ We always hear about how important small business is to the economy, but we don’t often hear about governments standing up for small businesses when it comes to effective competition and consumer laws. Why? Quite simply because small businesses are all too often the ignored members of our society. The small business sector is a big employer and small business people put in some of the longest working hours operating their businesses. They can be super efficient because it’s their money on the line. There are no corporate overheads or bloated performance bonuses because the money they make is generally put back into the business. Small businesses survive on their excellent customer service and help drive innovation and product choice in their chosen areas of the economy. While they keep the big players honest, they can be victims of abuses of market or contractual power by those big players. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/small-businesses-arent-muppets-theyre-a-big-deal/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/small-businesses-arent-muppets-theyre-a-big-deal/#item6804 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Have you envied, admired or checked out another woman’s shoes, hair, handbag, clothes, figure or makeup today?  Walked into a party and seen a woman surrounded by men and thought: slut? Breathed a sigh of relief when your ex’s new girlfriend turned out to be fatter, uglier or poorer than you? Welcome to the world of female competition where nothing is as it seems. Competition is not a gender issue - we all compete, men and women, but it’s how it manifests in young girls that grow into adult women that is alarming.  Female competition is covert and under the radar because girls are rarely taught that competing openly with other girls is OK.  By the time most of them hit a team sport where they could potentially be encouraged to openly compete the damage is already done. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Qantas-is-perfectly-entitled-to-spread-its-wings/ If you’re willing to sleep around, don’t be surprised if your partner gives you the cold shoulder. This week the nation cried foul at the thought of Qantas, our beloved flying kangaroo, shooting through to Asia. First of all, Qantas hasn’t done a runner. As CEO Alan Joyce says, the company is looking to shed 1000 of its 35,000-strong Australian workforce and establish two news carriers in Asia to increase its global competitiveness. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Qantas-is-perfectly-entitled-to-spread-its-wings/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Qantas-is-perfectly-entitled-to-spread-its-wings/#item6541 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Have you envied, admired or checked out another woman’s shoes, hair, handbag, clothes, figure or makeup today?  Walked into a party and seen a woman surrounded by men and thought: slut? Breathed a sigh of relief when your ex’s new girlfriend turned out to be fatter, uglier or poorer than you? Welcome to the world of female competition where nothing is as it seems. Competition is not a gender issue - we all compete, men and women, but it’s how it manifests in young girls that grow into adult women that is alarming.  Female competition is covert and under the radar because girls are rarely taught that competing openly with other girls is OK.  By the time most of them hit a team sport where they could potentially be encouraged to openly compete the damage is already done. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/ACCC-boss-departs-not-with-a-bang-but-a-whimper/ Well, the time has come for Graeme Samuel to finish up as ACCC Chairman. His departure will no doubt provoke mixed feelings and for that reason it’s worth pondering some of the alternative perspectives on Samuel’s tenure at the ACCC. There will be those that will applaud his departure for the simple reason that they believe that Samuel could have done much more to promote vigorous and effective competition in a wide variety of sectors. With key Australian sectors having become more highly concentrated during Samuel’s time at the ACCC, there is a real and growing danger that consumers will increasingly be price gouged. Samuel doesn’t appear to be too concerned about the growing concentration in key sectors. Free market theorists like to say that Australia is a small market and because of that we shouldn’t be too concerned if we end up with just a couple of large and powerful companies dominating particular sectors. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/ACCC-boss-departs-not-with-a-bang-but-a-whimper/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/ACCC-boss-departs-not-with-a-bang-but-a-whimper/#item6419 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Have you envied, admired or checked out another woman’s shoes, hair, handbag, clothes, figure or makeup today?  Walked into a party and seen a woman surrounded by men and thought: slut? Breathed a sigh of relief when your ex’s new girlfriend turned out to be fatter, uglier or poorer than you? Welcome to the world of female competition where nothing is as it seems. Competition is not a gender issue - we all compete, men and women, but it’s how it manifests in young girls that grow into adult women that is alarming.  Female competition is covert and under the radar because girls are rarely taught that competing openly with other girls is OK.  By the time most of them hit a team sport where they could potentially be encouraged to openly compete the damage is already done. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Woolworths-the-fresh-booze-people/ So the ACCC has allowed another acquisition that over time will be detrimental to competition and consumers. If you were not otherwise distracted by the upcoming extended long Easter/ANZAC day weekend, you would have noticed that last Thursday the ACCC put out a media release stating that it will not be opposing the Woolworths acquisition of the Cellarmasters Liquor Group. Now apart from sending out the release just before a long weekend where for obvious reasons less media attention would be given to the ACCC failure to act, the ACCC’s decision not to oppose the Woolworths acquisition is not surprising. In fact, the ACCC only opposes a tiny number of mergers and acquisitions under our existing competition laws. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Woolworths-the-fresh-booze-people/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Woolworths-the-fresh-booze-people/#item5700 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Have you envied, admired or checked out another woman’s shoes, hair, handbag, clothes, figure or makeup today?  Walked into a party and seen a woman surrounded by men and thought: slut? Breathed a sigh of relief when your ex’s new girlfriend turned out to be fatter, uglier or poorer than you? Welcome to the world of female competition where nothing is as it seems. Competition is not a gender issue - we all compete, men and women, but it’s how it manifests in young girls that grow into adult women that is alarming.  Female competition is covert and under the radar because girls are rarely taught that competing openly with other girls is OK.  By the time most of them hit a team sport where they could potentially be encouraged to openly compete the damage is already done. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/check-out-the-hypocrisy-in-the-war-on-supermarkets/ There is a glossy protest poster which rural conservative MPs put up in their parliamentary offices in Canberra last month. It features a bag of groceries under the words “Can you afford to pay Labor’s carbon tax?” It’s a fair question. Oddly it’s a question being put by the same group of people who are conspiring to make sure that we all pay much more than we need to for our milk. The National Party and country Liberal MPs have been joined by consumer advocates and competition crusaders in denouncing the conduct of supermarket giant Coles in forcing a price war not only over milk but beer, petrol, even barbecued chooks. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/check-out-the-hypocrisy-in-the-war-on-supermarkets/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/check-out-the-hypocrisy-in-the-war-on-supermarkets/#item5541 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Have you envied, admired or checked out another woman’s shoes, hair, handbag, clothes, figure or makeup today?  Walked into a party and seen a woman surrounded by men and thought: slut? Breathed a sigh of relief when your ex’s new girlfriend turned out to be fatter, uglier or poorer than you? Welcome to the world of female competition where nothing is as it seems. Competition is not a gender issue - we all compete, men and women, but it’s how it manifests in young girls that grow into adult women that is alarming.  Female competition is covert and under the radar because girls are rarely taught that competing openly with other girls is OK.  By the time most of them hit a team sport where they could potentially be encouraged to openly compete the damage is already done.