It’s interesting to see the media companies get into a lather about the possibility of more regulation when some of these companies have refused to give newsagents an operational environment of less regulation. They have self determination today and reject the creation of a new office to advocate public interest yet they have been happy to leave us in a high regulated state with little control and a model that is competitively disadvantageous to most we compete with.
I once thought deregulation was a good thing. However I now see it as wrong as allows for “might is right”. i.e. the bigger you are the more you can push around suppliers customers and agents or just push your view to the exclusion of others.
We see this with our print Media in Australia where except in Perth I believe there is a duopoly. On the East Coast a duopoly is definitely the case. Where no input is allowed on supply and terms and conditions to agents/customers. Take it or leave it.
On the editorial side 2 views only and that’s it. Balance Fairness ?
We see the same thing with Woolies and Coles. Even the 4 Big Banks is apparently to few when you look at how much of interest rate cuts are passed on. Yet they were happy to hold out their hands for Government Guarantees during the GFC.
Deregulation has only suited big business and possible big unions to the complete detriment of the rest of us.
We saw this with the EFTPOS increase. I wrote to both Senator Bill Heffernan and Albie Schultz MP about it. Both replied to my letters with 4 pages on Julia Gillard half a page on the Labor Party and in both cases 1 sentence which stated the Bank would give me fee cuts elsewhere. The Bank Managers response when I asked for this cut was great hilarity and a request for a copy of the letters to amuse his mates in the Lunch Room. Neither even did the courtesy of answering my letter on subject I wrote about.
Peter I share your frustration, especially with politicians from both sides who respond to letters with party line nonsense. They do not serve us.
Thanks Mark we are talking about 2 sides of the one coin.
Here here, but where can we go with our votes in September/ My electorate has been one party since forever, my vote here does not count, and I simply could not in good conscience vote for the least likely to succeed, because their values are not my own.
I even thought I might enroll at my student daughter’s address in the inner city, my vote would then count for sure, but my integrity would be compromised because I do not really live there.
I hate how honest people are being suckered over and over – why the savers of Cyprus have to pay a tithe of ten percent of their bank savings when the people in debt get their debt wiped out scot free has got me beat.
Rant over
And why media barons want to have their platform untouched when they abuse it over and over.
Reading more about the proposed changes, the plan is to bring to print and other outlets what already exists for TV. Seems fair.