The Intellectual Property Laws Amendment (Raising the Bar) Act has passed into law in Australia, with most provisions coming into effect on 15 April 2013. This brings major changes to the patent law in Australia, with the aim of better aligning patent practice in Australia with other jurisdictions. Below are some of the important changes that may affect your pending or future Australian patent application.

Inventive Step

Until recently, when assessing the patentability of a patent application in Australia, inventive step is judged against common general knowledge within the ‘patent area’, i.e. Australia. Changes to the legislation means that the territorial limitation will be removed when the legislation comes into effect and common general knowledge outside Australia will also be considered.

The amended legislation also delimits relevant prior art documents from those which would have been ‘ascertained, understood and regarded as relevant’ by the skilled person, to all information that was publicly available before the priority date.

This will bring the inventive step requirement in Australia more in line with the standards in other countries/regions, such as US, UK and Europe.

Usefulness

Unlike in the UK, an invention does not need to be industrially applicable to be patentable in Australia. Under the current Australian patent law, an invention is patentable if it is useful. The usefulness test is now strengthened by the amended legislation, where an applicant will be required to disclose a ‘specific, substantial and credible’ use for his or her invention. This change aims to prevent patenting of an invention that is ‘speculative’, where further tests or experimentation are required in order to reduce the invention into practice.

Support and Sufficiency

Under the amended legislation, claims in a patent specification will need to be fully supported by the description, and can no long just have ‘fair basis’, as required under current patent law. Furthermore, the invention will need to be disclosed in a clear and complete manner in the specification so as to allow a skilled person to perform the invention. These changes align the Australia law with existing UK/European provisions.

Preliminary Search and Opinion (PSO)

A PSO, similar to an International Search Report and Written Opinion for an International Patent (PCT) Application, will be made available, upon request, on a complete patent application where such information is unlikely to be made available from another office.

Modified Examination

Under the current patent law, an Australian patent application having a corresponding patent of the same scope granted in English in any one of the USA, Canada, New Zealand and Europe (EPC) can request modified examination to expedite the application process. Search is dispensed with and the Examiner cannot raise objections on grounds of clarity, unity or sufficiency. If a foreign patent is yet to be granted examination can be deferred by up to nine months.

However, under the amended legislation, modified and deferral of examination will no longer be available.

Amendment

It will no longer be possible to add new matter into the patent specification that extends beyond what was originally filed under the amended legislation. However, corrections of clerical errors or obvious mistakes will be allowed.

Acceptance

Under the amended legislation, the Commissioner will have discretion to allow or refuse requests to postpone acceptance. This means that acceptance of an application may take place immediately after examination, thereby preventing amendments of claims prior to acceptance. Alternatively, for example, acceptance may be postponed if entitlement of the patent is in dispute.

Divisional Application

Filing of a divisional application or conversion of an application into a divisional application will be restricted to three months of acceptance of the patent application under the amended legislation. This serves to prevent late filing or late conversion of the divisional application in opposition proceedings, which is also required to be filed within three months of acceptance (unless an extension is requested within the first three months).

The changes above will apply to new and divisional applications filed on or after 15 April 2013, and existing applications where substantive examination is requested on or after the same date.

If you or your clients have patent applications pending, or are considering patent protection, in Australia, we recommend requesting examination for new or existing patent applications before 13 April 2013 to take advantage of the current, more lenient requirements.

Workplace injuries are an unfortunate reality in many sectors across Australia. Accidents can even lead to employee deaths in worst-case scenarios, but how dangerous is the industry in which you work?

This article will outline the country’s most hazardous professions, as well as some of the compensation claims that you may be entitled to make after sustaining injuries or illnesses while working. For some incidents, you could be eligible for compensation across multiple claims, so get in touch with an experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as possible suffering injuries.

1. Transport, postal and warehousing

Transport, postal and warehousing jobs can lead to serious injuries or worse.

According to Safe Work Australia, the highest number of worker fatalities occurs in the transport, postal and warehousing industry. The data showed 53 staff members employed in these roles died on the job in 2015. This figure was a slight increase on the 48 deaths recorded the previous year.

Perhaps unsurprisingly for a transport-focused industry, truck accidents contributed heavily to fatality numbers. Comparison website lifeinsurancefinder in Australia noted in 2014 that approximately 68 per cent of deaths in transport, postal and warehousing were due to motor vehicle crashes. On the other hand, muscle strain was the primary cause of serious injury because employees regularly lift or move heavy objects.

The Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999 sets out the necessary requirements for making a claim in circumstances where vehicles caused injuries or deaths in NSW. If vehicles are not involved, you may still be eligible for workers’ compensation or lump sum payments for total and permanent disabilities (TPDs), depending on the short- and long-term effects of the accident.

2. Agriculture, fishing and forestry

Agriculture, fishing and forestry almost matches transport, postal and warehousing in terms of the hazardous nature of the workplace. The latter saw 101 deaths over 2014 and 2015, compared with 100 for the former.

Lifeinsurancefinder in Australia highlighted commercial fishing as particularly dangerous, citing risks including drowning, heat exposure and being hit by an animal. Creature collisions comprised approximately 3 per cent of serious injury claims in 2012-13, Safe Work Australia statistics show, which was more than vehicle accidents over the same period.

Again, you may want to pursue workers’ compensation for debilitating injuries or illnesses, particularly if you are forced to take a considerable amount of time off. Workers’ compensation covers a range of circumstances, including psychological issues, and can provide financial support for medical expenses, rehabilitation costs and property damage.

3. Construction

Tradespeople face a range of hazards in the workplace, including falls from heights, falling objects and getting trapped by machinery. A Safe Work Australia report from last year revealed that falling objects resulted in 13 per cent of all employee deaths in 2013, while falls from heights caused 12 per cent.

While the construction industry saw less than half the worker deaths of transport, postal and warehousing and agriculture, fishing and forestry, there was were still 24 reported fatalities in 2015. Sadly, seven people were killed in a two-week period in the lead-up to Christmas, according to the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union.

When employees die in the workplace, their families may be entitled to lump sum payouts, reasonable funeral expenses and weekly payments for dependent children. Death benefits from the deceased’s superannuation policy may also be available. Construction is among the country’s most hazardous industries.

Australia is abundant in mineral resources of all kinds and in the late nineteenth century witnessed the richest gold rush in history. It remains one of the biggest gold producers in the world and continues to explore new territory in the hope of repeating history.

It is also the largest wool producer in the world and has the largest sheep population with China running second. Australian Marino wool formed the back bone of Australian economy for many decades until the wool market crashed in 1989 leaving Australia to deal with a stock pile of 60 million bales in each weighing one ton. Over inflated prices was the main cause of its collapse and the sheep population plummeted from 180 million in 1989 to 70 million currently. However, in recent years wool prices began to rise due to demand from Asia and Europe. It is considered the best wool for suiting.

Zegna an Italian suit manufacturer has been importing fine Marino wool from Australia since 1910 and transforming the raw material into super fine cloth at their family weaving mills in Northern Italy. In 2014, in an effort to better control its source material (wool) Zegna formed a partnership with Charles Coventry, a fourth generation farmer who runs the Achill property buying 60% stake as part of a strategy it calls "sheep to shop".

Since Zegna began as a textile business in 1910, all of its fabrics have been made with Australian wool. That wool is then used in Zegna's luxury apparel, including the $ 34,000 Vellus Aureum suit, of which 60 to 80 are made to order per year. In 2016 an Australian wool grower shattered the records for the finest wool in the world, measuring 9.8 microns, beating baby cashmere which is generally measured at 11 microns. Zegna's goal is to create a vertical supply structure and ensure the quality and supply is not jeopardized. It follows the same principle that Henry Ford adopted. He owned his own rubber plantations and iron ore mines so no one could cut his supply lines and he was able to control commodity prices. He even went to the extent of having the timber pallets used for shipping to be specifically sized so they could be reused to form the floors of his model T ford.

Zegna learnt the harsh truth about farming in the rugged landscape of Australia. It was hit by a severe drought which was nothing new to the sixth generation wool grower Charlie Coventry. The drought broke and lessons learnt. With the purchase of new rams, working on genetics to improve the quality of wool, increasing water reserves and the quality of feed in paddocks is paying off. Together they are reviving the Australian wool industry and others are following suit. An entire nation was built on the back of the Marino and other agricultural products and the hope is a return to this original glory.

Sadly the Australian Government are more focused on short-term gains in ripping out coal and other raw materials, leaving massive holes in the ground and causing havoc to the environment. Funding to the farming industry and its communities has dwindled over the years and in some cases rail transport systems have been severed.

In the 1970's Australia was the seventh strongest economy in the world, with agricultural products being the largest exports including wool, wheat, meat and butter. Now we are ranked thirteen and lumbered with a massive foreign debt. It's time to get back to basics.

One of the most critical questions for all potential migrants is to decide what class of visa to apply for. The skilled migration Australia visa is one of the most popular, but is it right for most people? Let’s take a look at some of the different types of visa available.

A Working Holiday Visa is ideal for young people between 18 and 30 who want to spend up to a year in Australia. Whilst you can only have temporary or casual work, there are a great many of these visas available every year so you stand a good chance of getting one.

To qualify for a Family Visa you need to have an Australian partner or a member of your immediate family based in Australia on a permanent basis. This family member will then have to sponsor your application which will involve the sponsor in some degree of financial “guarantee” during your initial period in the country.

An Employers Sponsored Visa is available if the work you will be doing for the employer is deemed to qualify for such an arrangement.

There are a number of Business or Investment Visas available for those who have either owned their own business or who have had a successful career at a sufficiently high executive level.

Retirement Visas are available for those who want to emigrate to Australia when they retire. You will need to be financially secure and have sufficient funds available to satisfy the particular requirements of this visa.

The Skilled Migration Australia Visa is most appropriate for those with a skilled trade. These include those in the building trade including plumbers and electricians plus other trades such as hairdressers and nurses. Whilst workers in medicine, the law and middle or senior management, IT or finance are in demand, there are many other careers that are equally as acceptable. There is an official Australian Skilled Occupation List detailing all the occupations that are needed in Australia. Bear in mind that the skilled migration Australia visa is subject to a points system so it is essential to understand how this system works before you submit your application.

As an isolated continent Australia’s native animals and plants had been co-existing harmoniously for millions of years. Since Europeans settled in 1788 they have had to compete with introduced species, which have caused major impact on Australia’s environment. Feral animals generally have few predators and reproduce quickly. They destroy native animal’s habitats, spread disease and compete for food and shelter. Through a combination of trapping, shooting, spraying and protective bird netting, the battle against introduced pests is on going.

Rabbits

First introduced by European settlers they were brought to Australia for two reasons, to provide early settlers with meat, and later they were introduced for hunting. In 1859 a man named Thomas Austin released 24 wild rabbits on his property near Geelong and by 1886 this population had exploded to cover Victoria and New South Wales. Fifteen years later rabbits had reached the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Rabbits destroy vegetation and crops, which can lead to soil erosion. They have also been responsible for the eradication of the bilby and the bandicoot through destroying their habitats. They also destroy pasture, and seven rabbits will eat the equivalent amount of pasture of one sheep. During a drought they will strip paddocks bare leaving no food for livestock.

Foxes

Also introduced for sport, foxes now are hunted out of necessity, and have been so for many years now. They cause environmental damage, prey on native animals and kill livestock such as lambs and sheep. Lamb losses can be as high as 10 to 30%, and they can also prey on calves, deer, ostrich and poultry. The impact on livestock is significant and causes serious economic damage. A third of foxes diet comes from the livestock they kill. They are found in most areas of the mainland south of the tropics and there have even been reported sightings in Tasmania. As a result methods for controlling foxes have been in place for some time. Baiting and shooting are the major methods of the destruction of foxes.

Cane Toads

The cane toad is a large toad and is native to Central and South America. It is a prolific breeder and can lay single clump spawns with thousands of eggs. It also survives well due to its diet of both dead and living matter and will eat almost anything. It has poisonous glands and they are highly toxic to animals if eaten. They are a large toad and are tough and adaptable. They also have few predators in Australia. They were introduced into Australia in 1935 to control scarab beetles that were pests of sugar cane, and they are now found through the eastern and northern half of Queensland, in parts of the Northern Territory and they are steadily heading south through New South Wales. There have even been reported sightings in Western Australia. Initially 3000 toads were released into the sugar can plantations of north Queensland and now the numbers are estimated at around 200 million. They are considered a pest because they poison pets and injure humans, as well as many native animals, they eat a large number of honey bees and prey on native fauna. They also compete for food and carry diseases that be can transmitted to native frogs and fish.

Studying Law in the professional environment of Australia provides a lot many opportunities to students. The biggest temptation for students to join law courses is the bright future of law students. These courses bring along status, prestige and wonderful employment opportunities.

Law schools in Australia provide legal training across many areas so open doors of variety of sectors like politics, business, international law, intellectual property law, banking and legal studies related to sports, health, and the media. If you have already graduated in any other discipline then your law degree would be of three years. After secondary schooling degree would probably take four to five years for completion.

Many schools allow you to take ‘double degree’: that is, in a five years period a student undertakes two degrees in parallel – one of them law and the other might be Arts, Commerce or Science. In that case, you would finish your tertiary education in Australia with two degrees. Main universities and schools of Law are following:

Monash university– Victoria-Melbourne: Monash University is among the top three universities of Australia. Studying law at Monash offers a lot of flexibility to students. Monash provides in-depth coverage of all sectors related to law. The impressive resources and reputation of Monash University is bound to escalate the career growth of all students. The staff at Monash helps in developing critical thinking and skills for research and analysis. Monash Law is a high quality, innovative course for a changing world and produces graduates for Australian and international employers.

Murdoch University- Perth: Murdoch University has a progressive outlook and is totally committed to quality. These factors make Murdoch’s Law School the natural choice for students from whole world interested in a career in the Law. The curriculum of law school has been moulded to meet the needs of our modern society. Course is having a strong international perspective so offers opportunities across the world. Many of the ex-students of this university work with organisations such as the United Nations, in places such as Kosovo and the Gaza Strip with the United Nations Peace Keeping Force, and in New York at the United Nations.

University of New South Wales-Sydney: UNSW Law School graduates are held in the highest regard in Australia and overseas. UNSW has got international recognition due to large number of its students getting Rhodes, Fulbright and other prestigious scholarships every year. The Law School has had 5 Rhodes Scholars in the last 7 years – an achievement which is not matched by any other university in Australia. University offers various courses like Law in information age, Sport and law in western world, Cyberspace law, Criminal law, Children and law, commercial law, Disability rights and law, Industrial law, Insurance law, Media law, Public interest litigation, Laws of banking, Social security law and Sports law.

University of Sydney: University of Sydney has one of the world’s finest Law Schools. Sydney Law School is famous for its commitment to excellence in legal education. This was the first Law School to be established in Australia. University concentrates on small group teaching of its undergraduate programs and the extensive range of postgraduate programs. Special emphasis is given on international and comparative law.

Bond University: One of the Top-Ranked Australian Law Schools, it was the first private university of Australia. The Bond Law School provides a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees which will surely equip you for careers in the legal profession, business and government. The School has expertise in all major areas of law. Faculty of law is in Queensland. Bond was listed by Forbes as one of the most expensive universities of world and the most expensive university of Australia for 2008.

Other important law schools include- University of New England- Law School, University of New Castle- School of Law, James cook University and Flinders University. All the universities specialize in one or more disciplines with in Law. So Australia is the best choice if you are interested in making a career in the field of Law.

Global warming is affecting the whole world very badly. But some countries are at higher risk from climate changes. According to the Stern report, Australia is among the most-risked countries, as the emission of greenhouse gases is very high in Australia and it is one of the main exporters of coal, the burning of which emits Carbon Dioxide. Besides, Australia has a very big agriculture area and long coastline, due to which it bears the brunt of climate change and global warming. It has large dry and semi-dry regions, highly exposed to changes in temperature, rainfall and corrosion.

Australia’s ecology is very receptive to any change in the climate and assault by unfamiliar animals and plant species brought in by human doings. Its coastal areas are densely populated and tourism industry also plays an important role in shaping its environment. If left unrestricted, greenhouse gases emission will multiply many times over the 21st century. As a result, the annual average temperatures may raise 0.4-2.0 degree C over 1990 levels by the year 2030, and 1-6 degree C by 2070. In the coming years, average rainfall will decrease in southwest and southeast, while many regions like the northwest may get heavy rain falls. Global warming will raise sea level by 8-88 cm and this may erode and flood the entire coastline of Australia. All these changes will have varied impacts on Australia’s ecology, economy, and human lives.

Global warming also affects the rate and force of bushfires. According to a 2006 report, South Eastern Australia is one of the 3 most fire-prone areas in the world. The Black Saturday bushfires were the result of a period of record hot climate. More than 210 lives were lost in these fires and 1830 homes were ruined leaving 7,000 people homeless. Australia’s most varied ecosystems and natural habitats, when exposed to climate changes, become very weak. For instance, the Great Barrier Reef has faced a lot of blanching. Moreover, if the temperature increases 1 degree C more, it will cause a great loss of species and of related coral communities.

Therefore, the Department of Climate Change has set up the Australian Climate Change Science Program to study the reasons, nature, timing, and the impacts of global warming so that the country can take precautionary measures to reduce the intensity of its bad effects.

With a thriving economy and excellent working opportunities, Australia has become one of the most beloved destinations to work and live. The country is presently facing skill shortages in various industries, thus, the country wants professionals from other countries to join its workforce and contribute to its economic growth.

But, why should work in Australia? Here is the answer. Provided below are the six reasons why you consider Australia, when it comes to working abroad.

Highly paid jobs: Australia is acknowledged for offering one of the best average salaries in the world. In some sectors that payment is much higher than the UK and USA.

Excellent job opportunities: The unemployment rate in Australia is low. Owing to a growing economy, the country offers outstanding job opportunities in manufacturing, retails, street marketing, hospitality, telemarketing, and service sectors.

Work experience: If you are employed in Australia, it adds value to your experience. Work experience in Australia, is highly regarded across the world.

Opportunities to live in the great cities in the world: Along with excellent and high-paid jobs, you will experience a vivid lifestyle of one of the best cities of the world, namely Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, and others.

Multicultural Society: The best of part of working in Australia is that you will probably experience living in the most lively and multicultural society in the world. The society and demographic features of the country make every moment worth living.

Quite impressed? Are you also making up your mind to work and settle down in Australia? Then, you should know what are pathways to get the Visa for Australia. The country offers General Skilled Migrants Programs such as Skilled Independent Visa (subclass 189), Skilled – Nominated (Subclass 190) Visa or Skilled – Nominated or Sponsored (Provisional) (Subclass 489) Visa.

Each program is briefly described below:

Skilled Independent Visa (subclass 189)

Skilled Independent Visa (subclass 189) is a permanent residence visa type, which allows professionals from across the globe work in Australia with complete living and working rights. To apply under this program, you are not required to demonstrate any nomination by an Australian employer, state/territory government or a relative.

Eligibility:

To apply you must:

Be aged between 18 and 49 years.

Be competent in English language

Have relevant character, health certificate

Process:

Submit an Expression of Interest.

You need to qualify the Skill Select with minimum of 60 marks for the occupation that you listed in expressions of interest

Afterwards, the Department of Immigration will invite you to apply for the visa

Skilled – Nominated (Subclass 190) is also a permanent residence visa type. To apply under this program, you must be nominated by an Australian employer, state/territory government or a close relative living in Australia.

Eligibility criteria and process are as same as Skilled Independent Visa (subclass 189)

Skilled-Nominated or Sponsored (Provisional) (Subclass 489) Visa is also permanent residence visas, which allows a professional work and live in a specified provision in Australia. The eligibility and process is similar to the Skilled Independent Visa (subclass 189).

Further, you can include your family members while lodging an application under any of these General Skill migration programs.

Visa Australia Immigration, is an enterprise of Immigration Overseas, if you want to know more about the Australian Work Permit. The company has Migration Agent Registration Authority/MIA certified Australia immigration consultants, who help you, get through the immigration maze successfully.

Introduction to the Topic

Australia is one of only a few countries with the capabilities to design cars from scratch and manufacture in significant volumes. Car sales in Australia are also an important factor of the Australian Automotive Industry and the Australian Economy in total.

The Australian Auto Industry (A.A.I. in short) can be divided into two interrelated sectors, the Production ( Manufacturing) sector and the Car Sales (or Import-Sales) sector, both equally important for the total performance of the A.A.I. On one hand, the Manufacturing sector refers to the market conditions under which Australian Manufacturing businesses compete, by producing vehicles and related products, with the main aim of maximizing profits. On the other hand, the Sales sector refers to the market conditions under which car representative sale businesses compete, by the sale of cars and related products, having the same aim with businesses within sector one.

It is very important to state the distinction between these two sectors within the A.A.I., as we will be talking about two different market structures, business strategies, competition conditions, e.t.c. In order to analyse these market structures it would be appropriate to develop two economic models, one for each A.A.I. sector.

1.1-Analyzing the Manufacturing Sector

There is only one market structure that can best describe the market conditions in the Manufacturing sector if A.A.I., this is Oligopoly. As there are only two organizations that produce cars in Australia, and these are Ford and Holden, the competition methods and pricing strategies are based between these two organizations. The following economic model shall help define the competition and economic conditions for the Australian Automotive Manufacturing market.

The first important characteristic of Oligopoly that needs to be stated is that prices between competitors tend to be “sticky”, which means that they change less frequently than any other market structure. This statement will be explained in more detail later on, when we will be developing the Game-Theory model, as it is a very important concept of competition. The second most important characteristic is that when prices do change, firms are likely to change their pricing policies together. These two characteristics can boost up competition within the market. Firms will either try to match rivals’ price changes or ignore them. This is depended on the Game-Theory that is explained bellow.

However, the recent market conditions for the Australian Automotive Industry and the actions of the Australian Government have worsen the competition conditions and possible pricing options available for firms in the market. The production and maintenance costs for a manufacturing business in Australia are already high and rising, mostly due to lack of economic resources and advance of technology. That is, as Holden and Ford try to compete each other, given that prices tend to be “sticky”, they are forced to focus on technological advantage and marketing. Both of these business sectors produce high costs. Furthermore, the Australian government has made it clear that is unwilling to further subsidize automotive organizations in the market. All these factors stated above produce a negative effect on the competitiveness of both firms. In other words, rising costs alongside with decreased revenue push firms in experiencing lower and decreasing levels of profitability.

Profitability and the level of competitiveness are highly interrelated in an oligopolistic market structure, being the two most important factors, alongside with product differentiation, in the competition policies that the firms follow. When we say that the level of competitiveness of a firm is very low, we mean that the firm cannot react effectively to any price changes or competition changes or even changes in production costs. This may leave the firm depended on its’ competitor’s pricing and competition actions, not being able to affect the market competitiveness at all. The firm is then exposed to external danger and can be pushed out of the market, or even worse to shut production and declare bankrupt.

1.2- The Game-Theory Model for Oligopoly

The Game Theory model is used to explain the pricing and competition policies of firms in an oligopolistic market structure. Furthermore, it can show the few different competition policies based on pricing that the two firms can follow, that is High and Low as stated above. All firms in this market structure follow a Game-Theory model, although it is surely more detailed than our example, in the process of trying to forecast competitors’ pricing and competition movements and also keep track of the competition levels in the market and market share. But how does this happen?

For example, let’s say that there are four different fields, each divided in half. These fields represent the pricing strategies that Holden and Ford may use in the process of competing each other. Field A and C represent a High-Pricing policy for Holden, while fields A and B represent a High-Pricing policy for Ford. Lastly, fields B and D represent a Low-Pricing policy for Holden, while fields C and D represent a Low-Pricing policy for Ford. When both firms decide to follow a High-Pricing policy they share a profit of, let’s say, $12 million. If Holden decided to move to a Low-Pricing policy it will experience a maximum of $15 million profit, while Ford’s profitability will fall to $6 million. The exact opposite may also occur, while if both firms decided to follow a Low-Pricing policy they would realize a maximum of $8 million of profit.

What we can identify from the above example is that firms in an oligopolistic competitive market rarely change their pricing policies because this may produce a negative effect on their profitability levels. However, Holden and Ford, being the only two firms in the Australian Automotive Industry, they will focus on competing through product differentiation and marketing. That is, they will try to compete by differentiating their products, for example by producing vehicles with different features, or even base their production on technological advantage. Marketing plays an important role here, as it is the main tool that delivers and connects the customer with product. For example, if Holden introduces a new driving technology that improves driving experience and safety and produces this technology alongside with a newly designed vehicle, it is quite likely that Holden will effectively differentiate its newly designed vehicle from a relative vehicle of Ford and lure more customers in the store. Holden may also use marketing techniques to deliver this technology to the public, in the form of knowledge; hence try to boost sales without changing its pricing policy. However, it is important to state that this new technology may produce higher production costs, if not evaluated properly; hence Holden can only rely in increasing its market share to gain greater profitability. The sales part, however, will be analyzed in more extend within the next chapter of this report.

The Game-Theory is not just a theory for the Automotive Industry in Australia, it’s a fact. It shows us that auto manufacturers in Australia have based their competition strategies on all the factors stated above and as much as they possibly can on pricing strategies. They may advertise that they have low prices, but in fact their prices are very stable. If we have a close look at Holden’s or Ford’s websites, we will identify that there is a huge variety of products and each firm competes in that. However, the new market conditions stated before have greatly changed the way auto manufacturers think of the future and this in turn may change their pricing and competition policies, or even determine their existence in the market.

2.1- Analyzing the Import/Sales Sector

While the auto manufacturers are considered to be operating in an oligopolistic market structure, importing and selling vehicles or relative products is a different story. The import and sale of vehicles is the second and equally important business sector of the Australian Automotive Industry. There are many different car selling businesses and we shall only consider first-hand sales, as second-hand sales in general are not included in economics and more specifically in GDP measurements. To enter the industry hard at all as there are not many barriers to entry, however someone who is interested needs to consider of the high costs in setting up an automotive dealership. All businesses in this market are mostly based on product differentiation to compete and while prices are not “sticky”, pricing competition is set up by the market mechanism and tends not to be considered a regular phenomenon. Lastly, cost analysis and cost management play a very important role. All of the above characteristics refer to the Monopolistic Competition Market Structure. In this market structure we will focus on two phases, the short-run phase and the long-run phase, each with different competition characteristics and outcomes.

An important factor that we need to state here is that when the costs of developing a vehicle in the manufacturing sector rise, then the cost for selling the vehicle for a dealership may rise as well. This is always depended of course on if the vehicle was produced in Australia and if it was produced overseas, under what economic conditions was it produced. Price might be “sticky” for manufacturers, however prices will change much easier in this sector if needs be. Here firms will change their pricing policies if costs either rise or fall and this is always depended on the market mechanism. The amount of competitiveness along with the amount of price elasticity of demand will depend on how many rivals the monopolistic competitive firm will have to face.

In such market the following situation is very common, a situation that helps us distinct between short-run and long-run:

Stage One

In this stage the firm experiences economic profits. However, this fact will draw new firms in the market causing the profits to be competed away.

Stage Two

The economic losses indicated in this stage will cause many firms to exit the market, as they cannot keep selling under these market conditions.

Stage Three

In the final stage, the market clears-up, or reaches equilibrium point. As all firms that needed to exit the market have done so, the market mechanism comes to the point where no economic profits/losses are realized by the firms. This is the point where the market is most stable.

Studying the situation above we can identify one very important fact for any monopolistic competitive firm in the Australian Automotive Industry/ Sales sector. That is that in this market structure, in the long run, firms will realize only normal profits and the market mechanism will eventually reach an equilibrium point. Hence, in the long-run firms will compete mostly through product differentiation. However, in the short run firms may experience economic profits or losses and this is what causes firms to enter or exit the market and “shows” firms how to compete and when to apply pricing competition policies.

Conclusion

The Australian Automotive Industry may be experiencing rough market conditions, mostly because there is no more government support; however competition and profit maximization is still possible. Thinking of moving overseas is not always a good option for the manufacturing businesses, as the Australian Economy needs the manufacturing sector, as it represents a reasonably big part of GDP.

Market competition conditions are well defined for every manufacturer or car dealership, hence any business in the market ought to use the available to them competition strategies and achieve higher market share and profitability level or stabilize its profitability levels. Either way, these are the main goals for almost every profit-motivated business in any market type under any market structure. However, every business ought to define the market structure that is operating in, so that it can then clearly define its goals, strategies and policies. The market mechanism is in all cases responsible for all the above strategies and most of the cases responsible for setting up pricing policies or indicating pricing and marketing strategies.

The debate continues and the media is ramping up its reports on the refusal of the Federal Liberal Government to allow a conscience vote in parliament on the issue of same-sex marriage. The members are divided because of the influence of the religious background of many of them. This is especially so regarding the last Prime Minister, Tony Abbot, whose allegiance to the Catholic view on the subject continues to block it.

The question is how far should religion be allowed to penetrate parliamentary decisions of this nature? More than a third of Australians are non-religious and many have declared they are spiritual, according to the recent nation-wide census data. Surveys show that some 60% or more favour passing a law to allow it to happen.

While the resistance may be the result of what religious organisations dictate there is a good case to suggest that their arguments are based on fake claims. Many point to the New Testament as their guide. My research shows that the document was produced by the doctor of the church, Jerome, who compiled and wrote it after Constantine established the religion in 325 AD, using his Islamic religion as its format.

He introduced the Trinity and Mary, the Mother God of Babylon, into it as a continuation of the practices and beliefs of that region. His heritage is Assyrian and his decent is from the Amor, the people who built up the Persian Empire. They built Roma (reverse Amor) as their new capital after an earthquake devastated their previous one, Mary, 11 km northwest of Abu Kabul in modern Syria, c3,000 years ago.

These things are known by me because of my reincarnation and link to the Spirit of the Universe, the only God. It commissioned me to unearth the roots of religion and expose them to the world. There is no heaven or hell, which are the weapons use by Constantine and his cohorts to drag people in and keep them.

In Revelation 13:12-18 it lays out his work, his intentions, and his deceit. It also names him as 666 and anyone who thinks they are supporting the Spirit in their blockage of this act is a cohort of him.

It is time all woke up to the fact that everyone has reincarnated as explained in Job 5:19-21. As a man in my last life and a woman in this one the difficulty one has in adjusting to the reversal of roles makes people into what they are. This is not a condition of the mind but something religions do not recognise. It is the way God made us.