Then there’s the chronic cost of buying food, particularly at Woolies and Coles.

I ran up a bill for $56 at the weekend for just five simple purchases and nearly fell over when I saw the total amount ring up on the screen.

So much for Kevin Rudd’s much publicised petrol watch plan and for the NRMA’s words that suggested they would fix it for us, and the same applies to the government where food costs are concerned.

Where petrol is concerned, can we assume that Rudd and company are getting a special offer just so they can fill that ute up and not break the bank?

I can’t help myself 

I think I said I wouldn’t raise this matter again, but at the weekend only 76,000 went to NRL games while 312,000 came out for AFL matches, including 83,400 at one game alone.

Important business lunch 

The Illawarrra Club has organised a special business luncheon on Wednesday 29 July at the Wollongong Golf Club where controversial Federal Senator Barnaby Joyce will be one of the speakers.

Since his election in 2004 Barnaby has regularly espoused the virtues of free enterprise and equality of competitive opportunity particularly for small and family businesses and farmers.

He will be joined by Liberal Senator for the Illawarra Concetta Fierravanti–Wells and Professor Frank Zumbo, an associate professor in business law at the University of NSW and a leading advocate for reforming the Trade Practices Act for the betterment of consumers and small business.

For enquiries you can call 0423 591 167.

When will the real truth come out 

One day you read that the finances of our city council are fine and the next we are being told it will take years of focused attention to bring the council’s operating budget back into the black.

In fact, it is even being suggested by our city’s administrators that the situation might have an effect on whether or not we get a chance to re-elect our preferred council by 2012.

Maybe it’s time we got ourselves organised and marched down the streets in protest that we can’t have a say about who represents us around the council table.

And another funny one  

There it was, another funny city council job advertisement looking for a Development Project Officer.

I have to ask myself just what would this person really do, particularly as the simple enough advert didn’t actually spell out the duties.

Two sad goodbyes

Much is being said and written about the sudden passing of rock star Michael Jackson and former screen siren Farah Fawcett–Majors, and I must say it’s easy to understand the public grief, particularly where the better known, zany and talented Jackson is concerned.

He stands in my book as one of the best alongside Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, Sammy Davis Jnr, Elton John, the Beatles, ABBA, and - wait for it - our own Johnny Farnham.

And where Farah is concerned I rate her in the beauty stakes with Elizabeth Taylor, Rita Hayworth, Sophia Loren, Ava Gardner, Brigitte Bardot and Bo Derek.

Our senator’s a busy woman   

Our local Liberal Party Senator Concetta Fierravanti–Wells is a busy woman as she not only services the Illawarra but takes her job to countless other areas of the state.

The girl from Port Kembla and daughter of a steelworker, and proud of it, is known as the Patron Senator for such seats as Barton, Charlton, Lowe, Watson and Werriwa, as well as the local seats of Throsby and Cunningham.

And she’s also got the role as Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Citizenship – a subject she is passionate about – and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader in the Senate.

She will also be guest speaker at an Illawarra Liberal gathering on Friday 10 July which will be held in her local offices at level 2, 6-8 Regent St, Wollongong.

Unhappy with sackings  

The Senator is not happy with the disenfranchisement that has taken place with the sackings of the Wollongong and Shellharbour City Councils.

What’s more, she suggests that there appears no real moves to allow ratepayers to get a vote on who they would prefer to represent them as a typical example of the disdain held by the Labor machine for the area.

Regrettably, she suggests, the Illawarra remains paralysed by the influence of unions and stakeholders with vested interests.

And I couldn’t agree more!