“The Federal Government’s announcement that it will implement a national FuelWatch scheme will change price cycles in the eastern seaboard capital cities.

“In Brisbane, for example, motorists know the cheapest time to buy petrol is on Tuesdays. Brisbane motorists don’t need a FuelWatch scheme to tell them the cheapest day of the price cycle.

“Today, Brisbane motorists know which day is the cheapest and have come to know the cheapest outlets.

“Under FuelWatch the price cycle will change. This is obvious from the experience in Perth where a WA FuelWatch scheme has produced fortnightly cycles.

“This means Perth motorists, under the WA FuelWatch, need to wait 2 weeks for cheap petrol.

“Brisbane motorists get cheap petrol every Tuesday. And so do Sydney motorists. And so do Melbourne motorists!

“Will Mr Bowen guarantee that Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne motorists will still have cheap Tuesdays every week?

“The most recent cycles in Perth (WA FuelWatch) and in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne (where there is NO FuelWatch) are shown below.

“It’s been even worse for Perth motorists this past fortnight as they have had NO real discounting under the WA FuelWatch scheme.

“Mr Bowen should check for himself as all this information is on the ACCC website:

http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml?itemId=280309&Go.x=13&Go.y=11

“The only real way to get competition into the market is to increase competitive pressures through a greater proportion of the market being held by independents and a increasing the extent of ethanol blended fuel in the market. As stated in previous releases, Mr Swan and Mr Rudd do not have the courage nor commitment to deliver either of these."

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