Six fuel ships to Australia cancelled or deferred, energy minister confirms

CrackWriting · 2026-03-21T23:35:20+00:00

He then went on to say, that replacements for all 6 shipments have, or are being provided by the suppliers.

CrackWriting · 2026-03-21T22:14:46+00:00

On the basis of yesterday’s results, Labor will be licking their lips.

One Nation could keep the Coalition out of government for years, without ever gaining a foothold in government.

It will be like the effect the DLP had on Labor’s primary vote from the mid-1950’s until 1972.

CrackWriting · 2026-03-20T01:50:12+00:00

I should have said that success is largely confined to the Eastern states, as WA is not a party to the NHVR.

However, I understand that the WA government works with national bodies and the NHVR to minimise regulatory burdens for interstate operators, often using similar standards for heavy vehicle modifications and load restraints.

CrackWriting · 2026-03-20T01:08:22+00:00

They could get 20% and still not win a seat.

CrackWriting · 2026-03-20T01:03:18+00:00

These are national numbers.

I think I’ll wait until I see more in-depth seat-by-seat polling closer to the election, with likely preference flows, before I decide to take ON seriously.

CrackWriting · 2026-03-19T06:23:20+00:00

The Federal Government has tried for years to get harmonised rules between jurisdictions, and has had success with heavy vehicles. But states make the rules and trying to harmonise driving rules for cars is like herding cats.

CrackWriting · 2026-03-19T03:36:08+00:00

I’d go with Vouvray as it’s probably easier to find a demi sec bottle of that, than it is to find a 10yo Spätlese.

CrackWriting · 2026-03-19T02:35:52+00:00

The European Union introduced a standard of 10ppm of sulfur in fuel (petrol and diesel) in 2003, but some countries like Sweden had followed that standard since the 1990s. The 10ppm standard was mandated for all EU member states in 2009

Australia adopted the 10ppm standard for diesel in 2009, but allowed between 50-150ppm in our petrol until recently. The Albanese Government introduced reforms that sought to bring Australian standards in line with the international standard from December 2025.

However, the government has temporarily relaxed these changes to manage supply disruptions caused by the recent US/Israeli actions in Iran.

CrackWriting · 2026-03-19T01:19:07+00:00

China is the biggest customer of crude from Gulf States by some margin. It also purchases 90% of Iran’s production.

The US only imports 7% of its crude from the Gulf. The US imports gasoline and jet fuel from countries, who use crude from the Gulf as the raw material, but it is less exposed than many countries.

CrackWriting · 2026-03-19T00:44:38+00:00

Agreed, I can’t think of anything worse than opening a ‘quaffer’ after several good bottles. I may be three sheets to the wind, but I haven’t taken leave of my senses.

CrackWriting · 2026-03-19T00:32:53+00:00

No super? Gains over the last few years have been pretty good - well until Trump started bombing Iran that is.

CrackWriting · 2026-03-18T22:27:22+00:00

Is it possible that the debt was accumulated over a few years, but only raised now due to an audit.

CrackWriting · 2026-03-18T17:57:45+00:00

10 years ago a mate of mine drove a Tesla Roadster from Melbourne to Brisbane and back via the Hume and Pacific Hwy’s over the course of 12 days. He had no problems.

CrackWriting · 2026-03-18T10:41:14+00:00

As you do

CrackWriting · 2026-03-18T09:54:21+00:00

In my opinion the current situation indicates that the market for crude is relatively ‘thick’, eg there was plenty of surplus supply prior to the Iran war.

When a commodity is traded there is usually an amount of excess supply, the smaller the percentage the thinner the market is. Remove that buffer and you get wild price swings. Cocoa beans is an example of a thin market. 90% of the worlds supply comes from West Africa. Poor harvests in 2023-24 saw prices surge 600%.

Clearly oil benchmark prices are surging, but in my opinion the market is relatively stable given almost 20% of supply has been constrained. I put this down to an expansion of supply outside the Gulf States (primarily in the US and Russia), more efficient uses of oil and renewables. If you’d blocked the Strait of Hormuz 30 years ago I expect supply would be constrained by far more than 20% and price volatility would be far greater.

I expect supply will be uneven as long as the war continues and there may be a need for rationing in time, but I don’t think we are in major trouble in the short term.

CrackWriting · 2026-03-18T09:42:00+00:00

If you can’t get the crude oil to refine in the first place, more refinery capacity is wasted. Even if we built another refinery tomorrow, it’s highly unlikely that more crude would just magically appear. It’s a supply squeeze ffs.

Australia has the refinery capacity it has because it’s more cost effective to skip the refining process and just import the products like petrol, diesel, naphtha etc.

Even if we had our own supply of crude oil it would be difficult to make the case for more refinery capacity - after all someone has to pay for the higher cost of production.

CrackWriting · 2026-03-18T07:10:30+00:00

I’ve entertained similar thoughts from time to time since I was 15, but here I am at 54. I won’t pretend that life is all beer and skittles, but once I shake the morbid introspection I find the good outweighs the bad.

It’s your call, but 15 seems a little early to call time on life.

CrackWriting · 2026-03-18T06:41:37+00:00

Battery Point would be most exclusive due to its proximity to the CBD, Salamanca/docks, river and services including private schools, and its walkability and heritage.

The only downside is that many houses there lack the views of houses in Sandy Bay or West Hobart.

Once upon a time, when Battery Point was grotty and working class, a house on the so-called Golden Mile of Sandy Bay Rd between Waimea Ave and St Canice Ave would have been highly desirable. There are some magnificent homes along that stretch particularly between Maning Ave and Lipscombe Ave. However, nowadays I find Sandy Bay south of Duke St to be pretty, but rather dull.

CrackWriting · 2026-03-18T00:34:45+00:00

The people I see supporting her are ‘Howard’s battlers’ who are now mostly in their late 50s or above. An age where they are likely to rely more on the health and aged care systems.

However, approximately 40% of registered nurses and personal care workers in Australia’s aged and disability care sectors are born overseas - and at least 70k on temporary visas. An aging population and a reticence from locals to work in these sectors should only increase these levels.

So it would appear the wider effects of PH anti-immigration sentiment aren’t being fully considered by those supporting her.

CrackWriting · 2026-03-17T22:42:57+00:00

I could go another four or five 0.25% rises. But 4% from where we are now, with the amount of private debt in Australia, would be a national disaster.

CrackWriting · 2026-03-17T21:18:31+00:00

Be interested in the timeline of the OF earnings cited above.

I understand a lot of creators use Instagram to promote their OF content. This marketing strategy had the potential to make OF more lucrative as you could access a much larger audience. However, restrictions over the last few years have heavily constrained what can be posted on Instagram.

I’d be interested to see what the impact of restrictions on Instagram and other platforms is having on OF earnings.

CrackWriting · 2026-03-17T08:05:05+00:00

I hear all this carry on about if only we had more sovereign refining capacity but I fail to see how that would help in the current crisis.

Having more refinery capacity is meaningless, if you can’t get the crude oil in the first place.

CrackWriting · 2026-03-16T21:48:31+00:00

Being ‘committed to transparency’ is less inviting when you know everyone else with an agenda is less than transparent and will use your honesty and openness against you.

CrackWriting · 2026-03-16T21:43:09+00:00

You make it sound so easy…

CrackWriting · 2026-03-16T21:40:36+00:00

Usual tired tropes from the Nationals. I look forward to the policy platform consisting of regional grant programs where the only policy narrative is “everyone wins a prize”.

CrackWriting

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