Kerre Woodham: The entire fuel situation is a mess

How about that petrol, eh? I filled up on Thursday, as usual, that's my usual day. Just the car, no jerry cans, no oil drums, thanks very much, and I thought to myself, $2.95 - she's getting up there. Bargain now, looking at the pumps.

Our colleague Kylie, who has to travel north most weekends, reckons she paid an extra $80 above what she would normally pay for her weekend tikitouring.

The boss and Helen desperately need to fill up their cans so they can mow their lawns, but they're too scared to take their cans to the petrol station in case they go, "crippers, you're crazy, you're hoarding petrol."

The CEO of one of New Zealand's largest independent fuel suppliers says there is no need for people to panic buy fuel as motorists fret about the rising prices.

Petrol stations across the country are seeing a surge of drivers filling up, and the petrol prices will keep climbing. And you'd have to wonder how much of that is passing on the real cost, how much of that is opportunistic.

91's tipped over the $3 a litre mark in some areas because of the conflict in the Middle East.

US President Donald Trump is calling for countries to send ships to secure the Strait of Hormuz, which is effectively closed as Iran launches attacks to halt maritime traffic. Around 20% of the world's oil consumption usually passes through the strait.

Even the most ardent of Trump supporters, and I know there are a lot and, you know, you have your reasons, but even the most ardent of Trump supporters surely would have to concede he's no Sun Tzu, is he?

For those who don't know, Sun Tzu was an ancient Chinese military general and strategist. He lived about 500 BC, and his book, The Art of War, described as a profound text about military strategy and philosophy, has endured from 500 years BC to now. The lessons are still being taught today.

Don't think we're going to see the US President's thoughts on military strategy enduring for the ages.

Even forgiving him using military excursion when I'm pretty sure he means military incursion. I was a bit perplexed about that excursion. 

That's normally, you know, a trip down to Hamilton for Homegrown, that's an excursion, but we all choose wrong words and malaprop from time to time and that's okay. But, not knowing the size of Iran's navy or musing aloud or kind of forgetting how big it was, I mean, that's a classic.

Military strategist knows the importance of your enemy's strengths and weaknesses. And sending out an SOS to help keep the Strait of Hormuz open might have been a better idea to have a coalition of the willing and able sorted before attacking Iran, rather than doing it on the fly and saying, "hey, is there any frigates out there?"

But whatever. I'm not attempting to effect regime change in the Middle East, he is, and presumably there is somebody advising him.

As it is, the European nations have said, "thanks, but no thanks."

France is not a country at war today, thanks very much. At this point, there's no question of sending any vessels to the Strait of Hormuz, says France.

And Germany says that we'll only get security for the Strait of Hormuz if there's a negotiated solution.

The UK's considering all options. I mean, they could decide, Keir Starmer could decide something one day and flip flop on it on the next. They don't seem to have a very coherent strategy there.

So it's all a bit of a mess, really. You're better off being in Hamilton at Homegrown or Eden Park watching the footy ... but when it comes to the fuel, where it's actually affecting us, has the price of petrol changed your habits? Or are you just putting up with it and thinking, sighing heavily and thinking, oh well, it is what it is until such time as there is a resolution?

Have you decided to forgo trips?

Have you decided to forgo a tikitour of the South Island, perhaps, or a tikitour of the North?

Is it impacting the decision making yet? 

I know that there are some people who are buying fuel and storing it, and do be careful with your insurance, as people have said time and time again. But there are also people buying fuel because this is the time of year when they do, as our farmers told us.

This is normally what we're doing. It's harvest, you know, there's still haymaking going, there's harvesting, fertiliser's being put down.

It's just that people haven't noticed before that they're filling up large amounts of diesel to take out onto the farm. But because there is a renewed interest and focus on people buying gas and diesel and fuel at the pumps, everybody's noticing and thinking it's stockpiling.

Has it changed what you're doing right now? Are you looking at having to increase your prices, because the oil companies have not been, their profits are soaring, but they have not been slow in passing on the extra costs? 

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