Inflation is a killer… and it’s got its sights on Albo.
I know inflation is the hot-button topic of the moment. But I genuinely wonder if the political class realise how serious this is.
It’s a been over a generation since people have had to deal with the brutal reality that their hard-earned money is losing value as it sits in their wallets.
It’s one thing when you don’t feel like you’re getting ahead in life.
But it’s another thing altogether to realise that you’re going backwards.
But that’s what’s happening. And this is coming for main street. This isn’t just about how expensive it’s become to service my Merc. (Please sign my petition when it comes out.)
But this is about every day essentials.
Heck. It’s about fish and chips and beer!
Fish prices are off the hook (hey?) and aren’t coming back down any time soon, as the industry struggles to keep pace with demand:
Fresh Australian fish could be off the menu in more households if prices continue to rise and supplies keep falling, according to the peak body representing the West Australian seafood industry.
“Anybody who is a regular consumer of fish can see over the past six months or so in particular prices have gone up quite significantly,” he said.
“That's not because [fishers] are charging any more for the fish, it's because there is increasing demand from the restaurants and fish and chip shops and fresh fish shops to try and get the quantities that they need.
“What's happening is we as an industry are no longer able to meet public demand for fresh fish.”
Australia currently imports 70 per cent of the seafood consumed nationally, however Mr Hockey said the industry had noticed a change in consumer behaviour towards wanting to buy more locally caught seafood.
At the same time, pubs and liquor outlets are struggling to find workers:
Australia’s largest pub owner, Endeavour Group, has brought forward pay rises of between 4.6 per cent and 5.2 per cent for about 15,000 workers in its pubs and clubs to try to alleviate a staff shortage across the business, while it looks to recruit an extra 800 people.
Chief executive Steve Donohue said Endeavour, which runs 340 hotels and clubs as well as the Dan Murphy’s and BWS liquor retailing chains, would fast-track the increase by three months to July 1 for all hotel employees under the hospitality award.
…United Workers Union director Godfrey Moase, representing hospitality workers, on Monday urged more businesses to do likewise. “More employers should be bringing forward the award wage increase.
“Across the industry, the union has seen other employers more frequently paying above-award wage increases to fill shortages,” he said.
“Given the COVID-related supply-chain crunches, climate disasters and the energy pricing crisis driving inflation, there is ample space for wages to go up further,” Mr Moase said.
Don’t tell Endeavour’s workers that even at 5.2%, they’re barely holding ground.
The hospitality industry will need to do better than that if it wants to keep the beer taps flowing.
But if the beer stops, and the fish n chips shops shut down, there will be blood on the streets.
And Anthony Albanese will be the shortest-lived Prime Minister in history.
This is getting serious folks.
JG.