Graeme Samuel Quotations

Our primary concern had always been and clearly stated to be that east-west route and if Toll took over Patrick it would then have 100% of Pacific National.

The ACCC maintains that regardless of a creditor having a potential further right of access to the courts, the Trade Practices Act 1974 precludes the creditor from misleading consumers about their rights when pursuing the debt in the meantime by claiming or suggesting it is entitled to the outstanding monies.

The ACCC is not satisfied, at this stage, that the terms and conditions of those undertakings are reasonable.

This year's report shows that prices have continued to increase in 2004-05, although to a lesser extent than those increases experienced over 2000-01 to 2002-03.

We are carefully considering the material before us and expect to determine in a matter of weeks whether or not we will issue a competition notice to Telstra.

The moment someone steps in to regulate the price of petrol, we end up paying more.

As a consequence, the ACCC proposes to withdraw its opposition to the acquisition.

Although Toll did offer undertakings relating to rail, the information available indicated to the ACCC that these undertakings were not sufficient to address the competition concerns.

A merger of the second and third largest suppliers of architectural and decorative paint has the potential to lead to a significant reduction in competition and increased prices.

Even with Toll's proposed undertakings, significant detrimental effects on competition are still likely to arise.

The intensity of the debate on ULL pricing suggests that after seven years of regulation, competition is finally gaining some traction.

In particular, there are concerns arising because of the strength of a combined Toll-Patrick across a large number of related areas in the transport sector.

Each step in life has been another step in an area that was a challenge, that is highly satisfying and that gives you a great sense of pride afterwards.

If you are given a public responsibility, you have to listen, weigh up all the issues, but ultimately you have to form a view of what you genuinely think is in the public interest... put the public interest above the vested interest.

You can't feel the need to be liked in public life, because if you do you will compromise the principles that are so important to the public having confidence in your ethics and integrity.

However, increased passenger numbers have seen airport costs on a per passenger basis generally decrease or slightly increase during this time and combined with price rises, airport profitability has risen substantially over the period.

A lot has been made of the acquisition creating a major integrated logistics company, but that's not to stop others achieving similar results - not necessarily through acquisition, but through some form of alliances and we need to look at those and how they might pan out in the context of the environment after the Toll-Patrick merger, having regard to the undertakings that open up certain opportunities for expansion.