Time to protest?

[Toaster]

Petrol, diesel and RUC charges are all well on the match upward and sprinting pace.

The general cost of living is rising unabated with food, insurance, interest rates etc all on the rise. Everything is getting expensive and we are all feeling the pinch in our budgets.

Yes the truckies are protesting and causing mayhem in traffic today but hey - its great to see them stand up to the powers that be and demonstrate their frustration and exasperation.

So, vote how you feel.....

[Nordy]

Absolutely for it! I think they are mostly pissed at the lack of warning when they were told they would get a months warning by annette king. Lying tart!

[Patch]

Annette 'lying back stabbin bitch' King is pissed that the last time she raised the rates she missed out on 17.5million dollars being hit with the increase.

This is her retaliation by not giving the month's notice she agreed she would. Fuck U's all round.

Wonder who will win??









shouldn't match be march there ole fulla :shutup:

[ManDownUnder]

I'm for the truckies protesting - good on anyone standing up for what they believe.

I personally think they need to pay their way in terms of road user charges, as we all do. I don't have enough information on the truth in that respect so I'm in no position to go out in support though.

As for the protest... I rode the length of the NW today with no sign of any traffic... AT ALL! My biggest challenge was keeping the speed down while in a light, fast flowing traffic stream... with cops posted at the the ocassional on ramp.

Good luck to them I say... but it's a rare occasion when the "might is right" approach gets my favour. They want to make a point so they block traffic around the CBD costing employers and shops downtown a fortune... it's hurting those that have nothing to do with it. It's like me punching random passers by on the street in protest to my rates bill being too high.

[firefighter]

about time us kiwis stood up and showed our disapproval.

[BOGAR]

Good on them. I was out in Rotorua to show my support, must admit though i did come to work early to miss it all. but good on em.:yes::yes::woohoo:
and yes i know it was not much of a problem here but still good to see.

[Sanx]

It's a bit of a half-arsed protest to be honest. I'd prefer to see something a little more concerted, like the actions taken by truckers in the UK in 2000 where the essentially shut down the country for a week by the simple expedient of blockading the fuel refineries. No fuel in and out meant no fuel in petrol stations meant no-one going to work. The protest only ended when the Labour government there (also run by someone with an immense ego, absolutely no intelligence and a complete inability to tell the truth) threatened to send in the army to break to blockade, which showed how absolutely desperate they'd become.

So yeah - keep up the protests, truckies, but next time do it properly. How about waiting for parliament to go into session, then creating a ring of steel around it. Don't let any of the fuckers in or out.

[Naki Rat]

Clark, King, Cullen & co

*Reneged on the 1 month notice of RUC increase,
*Squirrel away RUC and petrol taxes into the consolidated fund to give to beneficiaries and fuck the roads,
*Consider the voting public as too dim to consult on matters of real importance (e.g. Privy Council, anti-smacking bill),
*Make business decisions like drunken lotto winners (e.g. Toll rail deal, mushrooming public service)
*Are totally out of touch with how the average Joe Kiwi is struggling financially

So not too hard to see why the opinion on this one is totally one sided. The (Kiwi) worm has finally turned :clap:

Also the word is that this may be just a dry run for a more well organised convoy on the Beehive in three weeks. How many LAV3s did the government purchase (for civil unrest control), 'cos it better be plenty if this is only the start!

Go Kiwis :2thumbsup

[Flatcap]

Labour increases taxes, excise, RUC yet THIS:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4607501a10.html

They clearly think we are all morons

[madandy]

My old man is part of the Christchurch protest drive.
I'm proud he's part of a small group of New Zealanders that are prepared to stand up and say they've had enough of this labour goverment and its BS.

It's about time Kiwis grew their spines back and returned to the ways of standing up and letting the drones in Wellington know we're not fucking happy.

[Gubb]

Protest is Patriotism.

Go nuts. Good luck Truckies.

[Toaster]

mmmmmm feeeel the force Luke.............. embrace your anger............ come to the dark side!

[Benjiboi]

Its so good to see that finally someone has stood up to the government and shown them that they cannot treat the NZ public as a goldmine.

What is the point of Labours $20 a week tax cut, that money is now only going on increased rego costs, higher road user charges, the ever increasing petrol prices, increasing food costs.......

This money won't be spent on roads when there are so many people on benefits that have to be paid, the mountain of public servents that Labour has created need an income, not to mention all the 'perks' that MP's consider themselves deserving of. Who pays their 100k + salaries?? We do! Not for much longer tho I would assume.

No wonder so many people are leaving for Aussie, no doubt they make foolish decision also but at least the weather is warmer.

[buellbabe]

I also totally support them, and agree that its about time someone stood up and said "ENOUGH!".

Good on the truckies (gotta love that redneck spirit LOL)!!!

I tooted my support to every truck I passed on the way to work this morning!

[fireball]

i support the truckies, they are standing up and showing what they believe in.

one thing the gubberment should do with this increased revenue from the taxes is actually FIX the roads the truckies are driving on and making a mess of.... not spending it all on this stupid rail idea of theirs.

[Owl]

100% support, even if it causes me an inconvenience. Good on them for standing up! :rockon:

[Skyryder]

I could understand the protest if most of the truckies had to fork out of their own pocket for road charges but most are employees of the trucking firms and they have allowed themselves to become the instrament of their employer. This is just a stunt by an ex Nat MP for political purposes and the drivers have allowed themselves to become pawns of their bosses. Sad realy that the working class has allowed itself to be used like this.

Skyryder

[peasea]

Might I remind everyone that in ten days its Bastille Day. If you ever needed some inspiration, there it be.

[Rollestonchick]

I could understand the protest if most of the truckies had to fork out of their own pocket for road charges but most are employees of the trucking firms and they have allowed themselves to become the instrament of their employer. This is just a stunt by an ex Nat MP for political purposes and the drivers have allowed themselves to become pawns of their bosses. Sad realy that the working class has allowed itself to be used like this.

Skyryder

:Offtopic: Most of those truckies you will find, are owner operators. They have to pay their own road charges, not the trucking company, that is the logo on their rigs

[Flatcap]

I could understand the protest if most of the truckies had to fork out of their own pocket for road charges but most are employees of the trucking firms and they have allowed themselves to become the instrament of their employer. This is just a stunt by an ex Nat MP for political purposes and the drivers have allowed themselves to become pawns of their bosses. Sad realy that the working class has allowed itself to be used like this.

Skyryder

About 5% of the trucking fleet was at the protest and as Rollestonchick says most were owner-operators.

Those who weren't will still get paid to be pawns

[Benjiboi]

I was just watching the news today the government has decided to allow local councils to add regional tax of at first 2c but with the ability to increase that to 10c by this time next year.
And this is to pay for roading projects???
Wasn't that the idea of increasing road user charges??

:confused:

Plus they just increased the price of liquor how will I cope:(

[Flatcap]

Plus they just increased the price of liquor how will I cope:(

Walk to the boozer

[Rollestonchick]

my joke of the day::woohoo: :Today truckies have made the auckland motor way look like Helen Clark....an ugly route ..... :rofl:

[skidMark]

how much c4 would it take to blow up the beehive?

[skidMark]

my joke of the day::woohoo: :Today truckies have made the auckland motor way look like Helen Clark....an ugly route ..... :rofl:


I just spat coca cola all over my laptop.

Damn you. lol

[davereid]

The road transport forum has always said they are happy to pay their fair share of costs. They just want fair representation in determining what those costs rally are.

This protest is actually saying to labour

"You are arrogant and you lie. You give with one hand and take with another. The small businesses of NZ, and the workers who won't get a benefit increase cannot afford your endless greed"

[skidMark]

The road transport forum has always said they are happy to pay their fair share of costs. They just want fair representation in determining what those costs rally are.

This protest is actually saying to labour

"You are arrogant and you lie. You give with one hand and take with another. The small businesses of NZ, and the workers who won't get a benefit increase cannot afford your endless greed"


Or in laymans/truckie talk.

saying to labour...

"Fuck you cunts"

[idleidolidyll]

any time the public gets involved in politics is good, that's real democracy

[DEATH_INC.]

Good on 'em. It's aboot time us Kiwi's stood up and stopped taking it up the arse from our servants.

[Flatcap]

any time the public gets involved in politics is good, that's real democracy

Only if there is an understanding of the system and the people in it.

Most people are morons - there needs to be a voting license and a test to get it

[Ixion]

Harold headline

Protest fails tro bring chaos (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10519992&pnum=2)

So , what then was the point of it ?

A protest that FAILS to bring chaos is hardly going to frighten the Sheeple.

However, any direct action of the people, even if ineffectual in itself , is good. It encourages others, who may be more effective. And makes the Sheeple nervous.

[ynot slow]

The tax on fuel has hit $1 per litre,add that to RUC,Rego and we should have bloody 3 lane safety barrier highways from top to bottom.Instead we have a half billion $$$ settlement to the iwi,anyone think the royals should fork out for this not us?Then our roads might improve.

Last month I grabbed 10000km for our work truck rated to 5 tonne sticker,cost $380 or so,doesn't sound much compared to 45 tonne,but even vans struggle to get under 2 tonne,these are more prevailent now.Heaven help us if the clowns in power,realise raise the lower tare sticker RUC(2-4tonne),and decrease the 45 tonne plus RUC might be better option and no one would bat an eye,common sense would say more light vehicle diesels are now running around,due to slightly lower fuel costs.

[idleidolidyll]

Only if there is an understanding of the system and the people in it.

Most people are morons - there needs to be a voting license and a test to get it

oh sure, and don't tell me.........YOUR buddies would get to choose the questions and who passes?

[Flatcap]

oh sure, and don't tell me.........YOUR buddies would get to choose the questions and who passes?

Perhaps choose the questions - and yes, there would be pass/fail, not "credit for participation"

[oldrider]

In spite of all this action/reaction and expressed dissatisfaction with Cullen Clark and co, the media will do their act and the sheeple will follow.

Labour will return to office at this years election! :doh:

I would love to be proved wrong but this "is" socialist New Zealand! :confused: John.

[Hitcher]

Absolutely against it. Truckies have had it too easy for too long. It's about time that heavy vehicles contributed towards the cost of road upkeep and redevelopment in a commensurate manner. Why should taxpayers subsidise transport operators?

People complain about too many trucks on the road and the damage they do, yet are keen to throw their support behind protests like this. I don't get it.

Perhaps the operators weren't given enough warning. If they had they would have only roared out and bought a gazillion km of road user charges at the old price -- the same people who are moaning about the costs going up.

New Zealand is infrastructure poor, thanks to government neglect over many years. We need better roads and we have to be prepared to pay for these. Yes, that will hit all of us in the pockets as road user charges are passed on to the freight that gets carried by road. We could pay for it through our general taxes, but that would only continue the inequities that currently see road transport operators being subsidised.

Good publicity? Yes. Genuine cause? No.

[CB ARGH]

Fuck the price increases. That's all I've got to say.

GO THE TRUCKIES...

Talked to a truckie last night and it costs him/the business $0.70 a kilometer to drive his/businesses truck, I think it was a 24 tonne. :gob:

It's absolutely mental.

Pak'n Save... sold batteries for $0.99 about 3 months ago, now the same batteries are $2.69 today. Sizzlers went up $0.70 overnight. God, it's not like we're running out of fucking cows!

BTW I work at Pak'n Save and if the boss is reading this, you do a lovely job and I love you. :woohoo:

[PirateJafa]

Good luck to them I say... but it's a rare occasion when the "might is right" approach gets my favour. They want to make a point so they block traffic around the CBD costing employers and shops downtown a fortune... it's hurting those that have nothing to do with it. It's like me punching random passers by on the street in protest to my rates bill being too high.

Speaking as someone who works pretty much on Queen Street - I didn't see any less people in the CBD than normal - if anything, more people were out there sipping coffees and having a look!

[toebug]

Go the truckies!!:rockon:

[jafar]

Absolutely against it. Truckies have had it too easy for too long. It's about time that heavy vehicles contributed towards the cost of road upkeep and redevelopment in a commensurate manner. Why should taxpayers subsidise transport operators?

People complain about too many trucks on the road and the damage they do, yet are keen to throw their support behind protests like this. I don't get it.

Perhaps the operators weren't given enough warning. If they had they would have only roared out and bought a gazillion km of road user charges at the old price -- the same people who are moaning about the costs going up.

New Zealand is infrastructure poor, thanks to government neglect over many years. We need better roads and we have to be prepared to pay for these. Yes, that will hit all of us in the pockets as road user charges are passed on to the freight that gets carried by road. We could pay for it through our general taxes, but that would only continue the inequities that currently see road transport operators being subsidised.

Good publicity? Yes. Genuine cause? No.


Would appear that your in a small minority there Mr Hitcher :calm:

[oldrider]

Absolutely against it. Truckies have had it too easy for too long. It's about time that heavy vehicles contributed towards the cost of road upkeep and redevelopment in a commensurate manner. Why should taxpayers subsidise transport operators?

Well taxpayers heavily subsidised the NZR before they sold it, even though nobody really wanted to use it, legislation made sure that they did.

Now we are back paying for an expensive out of date run down railway and the government will legislate to force the taxpayer to use it again.

Extra cost through, delays, extra handling, extra breakages, extra pilfering, extra unnecessary staffing levels, etc etc, the list goes on forever!

They will spend millions upgrading it and in the end it will still be too small to be any real use as a transport system. (3ft 6inches is just a toy railway)

They should have used the money on the roads where it belongs but no, taxpayers will subsidise both road and railway again. :weep: John.

[_Shrek_]

Absolutely against it. Truckies have had it too easy for too long. It's about time that heavy vehicles contributed towards the cost of road upkeep and redevelopment in a commensurate manner. Why should taxpayers subsidise transport operators?

People complain about too many trucks on the road and the damage they do, yet are keen to throw their support behind protests like this. I don't get it.

:2guns: this is one time i don't agree with you Hitcher
a study was done a few years ago on what happened to the RUC that was collected & it was found that only 23% was put back into the roads the rest went into the consolidated funds thats why we have shitty roads :mad:

we got a notice today saying that our insurance is going up because the GOVT has put the fire levi up & we have to cover it :BS: every thing else will go up because its the end user that has to pay ie: us :argh:

Ps: GO THE TRUCKIES :wari:

[Hitcher]

(3ft 6inches is just a toy railway)

The Japanese run bullet trains on 3' 6". The gauge isn't the issue.

[oldrider]

The Japanese run bullet trains on 3' 6". The gauge isn't the issue.

Bullet trains don't carry heavy freight and that is what NZ expects to get off the roads, not people carriers! :no:

This government have got it all wrong, as usual.(IMHO)

They despise big business but will promote big government at any price! :shifty: John.

[jafar]

Bullet trains don't carry heavy freight and that is what NZ expects to get off the roads, not people carriers! :no:

This government have got it all wrong, as usual.(IMHO)

They despise big business but will promote big government at any price! :shifty: John.

The Gibberment buying the Rail & putting the cost of it's competition up on the same day doesn't strike anyone else as dodgy then :doh:

[Sidewinder]

go for anything against the goverment because there a bunch of queer cunt that need to go get fucked so the more people that say it to them the better it is. but sadly it wont get down the prices.