Little savings in petrol price schemes

WHILE the fight is going on over who did or didn't release Cabinet information about the Federal Government's FuelWatch scheme, it's perhaps time to take a breath and look at what is really at issue.
   The Federal Government says the scheme can save up to 2c a litre on fuel over time.
   The Opposition says a 5c a litre cut in excise would be of more value.
   Big deal!
   Let's use the figures of an average family sedan taking 60 litres to put the fuel gauge needle on the "Full`''mark.
   That amounts to a saving of between $1.20 and $3 a tank of fuel.
   At an average 10l per 100 km, that`s 600km a tank for a family sedan (probably a bit overstated).
   For the majority of mums and dads, 600km a week is a fair bit of travel.
   So, the savings that our politicians are arguing over are probably less than $3 a week.
   While any saving would be welcome, surely changing driving habits would produce far greater benefits.
   
   Basketball blues
   
   AS much as National Basketball League officials try and play down the matter, there seems little doubt the NBL is in crisis.
   With two of the marque teams - Brisbane and Sydney - on the cusp of disappearing' difficulties in finding major sponsors, uncertainty over television coverage, perhaps it is time for a radical change.
   It's probably left field, but is the only saviour for a national basketball competition in Australia entire competition ownership? 
   Should our national league become a franchise of the NBA where it effectively becomes the NBA's development league? 
   Or even should someone - perhaps even News Ltd (remember it did buy a rugby league competition a few years back) - buy the league.
   It would be a shame to see it disappear into a miasma of nothingness at a time when the talent rising above the rim is the best it has ever been. 
        
   Snake tales
   
   IT`S pretty sad when the world's media pick up on a quirky Far North Queensland story about an unfortunate man`s brush with a brown snake.
   CNN, The Discovery Channel, the London Sun and anyone else you can think of want to know more about the man who had a run-in with a snake when he was caught short up near Laura.
   So, while our tourism industry is struggling under the weight of rising fuel prices, a high Australian dollar and cheap rivals, why not make the most of this type of interest? 
   The scenarios are endless: Adventure tourism -get up close and personal with the sex starved snakes of Far North Queensland; run with the snakes (a la running with the bulls); python wrestling etc etc.
   Where`s the imagination of our marketing people? Opportunities such as this don`t come along every day.
   Just to add my take about it all, I think the story was a joke - the snake was simply trying to take the p..s out of the unfortunate traveller. 
        
   Lack of respect
   
   AN interesting - and sad - tale emerged from this week's Principal for a Day program that ran throughout Cairns's schools.
   One prominent figure who took part had a meeting with senior teachers and leaders of the school where he was boss for for the day.
   He asked what the biggest issue they had to confront daily was.
   The answer was a unanimous - and instant - lack of manners and respect from students.
   That, unfortunately stems from one place - the home.
   Manners cost nothing and respect generally brings a reciprocal response.

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