I agree with all of the above and am not happy with what we get here in Australia in the way of eBooks. (and other things
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But lets not forget one thing: the market is rather small and restricted. Australia has barely 22 million people living here. So the advantages of the other markets with the demands on infrastructure and huge demands for quality goods to good prices just won't fly down here as we don't manufacture much here anymore. This means that the shipping costs will always increase prices of goods above prices paid elsewhere. Sure, the import taxes don't help there either. Sad but we just have to live with it.
At the end of the day the business decision has to be for profit - no point opening one if you don't want to make money.
The weird thing here in Australia is that consumers don't seem to vote with their feet. I was surprised a few years back when the milk market was deregulated. Instead of the prices going down, the went up!!!!! What the ...? You would think the companies would drop the prices to get customers, but noooo. (And lets not start on the poor farmers who get bugger all for their labour. I would happily pay a bit more for the milk if I knew the farmer gets the extra).
Down under is truely a weird place with it's hopping shopping bags, bears in trees and an animal that was described as "God's joke" (the platypus btw).