Three Strikes Protest Run, 5 May

Published on 19th April 2011 10:03

277 Comments

Support the three strikes demonstration ride
Thursday 5th May 12 noon

The government has struck out at us three times now. We will not tolerate this any longer, and it is time we showed them!

What they have done:

1) Used bikers as a smokescreen to mask the introduction of risk based levies, and massive levy increases.
2) Attempted to justify the hike with misleading statistics and unjustified financial model changes.
3) Ramped up roadside 'safety' checks - in reality poorly disguised rego and WOF checks - and now the introduction of demerits for unlicensed vehicles.
What they deliberately overlook:

They tout the risk based system as being fairer for everyone, by arbitrarily creating different road user groups and charging based on the likely treatment cost. Well many of us own multiple vehicles, so appear in those groups and pay more than once. How is it fair we pay multiple levies yet are only eligible for a single treatment? How can they justify a minimum three month on hold period, when that makes it so expensive to be law abiding with infrequently ridden bikes? And to assume all drivers in each class have the same level of risk is at the very least idiotic, if not irresponsible; with the implication that safer vehicles are more important than safer drivers. The myriad of different variables needed to create a truly fair risk based system would create massive administrative overheads to process. This is a system that is not required, not wanted and moves ACC yet further away from the Woodhouse principles towards private insurance.

What we demand they do:

1) Remove the vehicle-based levies, to be replaced with a fuel-based levy collection system as a first step, ultimately returning to the Woodhouse Principles.
2) The minimum on-hold period of three months to be removed.
3) All political parties make their stance known about ACC: whether they are in favour of the no-fault Woodhouse system, if they agree with the move to full future funding, where they stand on risk-based levies and if they would agree to private insurers in the system.

What can you do?

Support the three strikes demonstration ride; this will take place on Thursday 5th May 12 noon. The idea is that you meet up with other protesters, ride together to the local ACC offices, then ride to the National party offices (because we all know who is really behind this crap). At both locations you will arrange yourselves to present a smokescreen of motorcycles: we’ll let them see us and hear us! There will be a letter to noisily deliver to each location stating our grievances and demands. Meeting points to be announced when finalised.

Currently we have ride coordinators for Auckland, Wellington and Tauranga if you would like to organise one in your region let us know!

_{This article was originally published in forum thread:

Three Strikes Protest Run, 5 May
started by
MAG-NZ Inc} _{View original post}

Categories:
Protests

273 Comments

carver - 23rd April 2011, 10:08
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Pizza for cat?

you noobs voted national in anyways, so there you go!

flyingcrocodile46 - 23rd April 2011, 10:38
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Originally Posted by carver

Pizza for cat?

you noobs voted national in anyways, so there you go!

Not I, said the cat.

wingnutt - 23rd April 2011, 16:28
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While I applaud, and agree, (apart from paragraph 2) with the protest, but I think you may be going off a bit half cocked.

Its worth remembering, that you are trying to change the minds, of some hard nosed arseholes, who really don’t give two shits whether we have legitimate grievances or not. They only know that at this stage, they hold the upper hand, and as long as smith doesn’t fold, it will stay that way.

As I see it, there are two ways to bring about change.

1. Create a protest, so big, it will put their jobs on the line.

2. Cut off the currency flow.

In respect to number 1, and this protest, 3 main city protests nationwide, will do nothing to worry, or change the minds of the political, and corporate identities. Its needs to be nationwide, pulling in every provincial city, town etc.

As for number two, I have no friggin idea, some folks a lot cleverer than me might know of a way.

Now, I’m not trying to knock this protest, I think its great, but maybe a little more thought is needed?

Zamiam - 23rd April 2011, 21:34
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Personally I believe the politicians will continue to beat us as we allow them to divide and conquer. We need to stand together. Yes I am pissed about the cost of rego for my bike but I'm more pissed by fact that rego on my ute and van are both neatly 3 x the cost of the rego on my car even tho they are all registered as private motor vehicles. There are only two of us in my household and we can't drive/ride 4 vehicles at the same time.

We need to get all those that own multiple vehicles onto this. Those with rods, play cars such as Mustangs etc are all getting ripped off. We are getting bogged down on the amount we as bikers are paying. The amount is irrelevant. the key thing is we are all being raped by the ACC system.

BoristheBiter - 23rd April 2011, 22:44
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Originally Posted by Zamiam

Personally I believe the politicians will continue to beat us as we allow them to divide and conquer. We need to stand together. Yes I am pissed about the cost of rego for my bike but I'm more pissed by fact that rego on my ute and van are both neatly 3 x the cost of the rego on my car even tho they are all registered as private motor vehicles. There are only two of us in my household and we can't drive/ride 4 vehicles at the same time.

We need to get all those that own multiple vehicles onto this. Those with rods, play cars such as Mustangs etc are all getting ripped off. We are getting bogged down on the amount we as bikers are paying. The amount is irrelevant. the key thing is we are all being raped by the ACC system.

Is your ute and van diesel?

jafar - 24th April 2011, 16:52
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Originally Posted by Zamiam

Personally I believe the politicians will continue to beat us as we allow them to divide and conquer. We need to stand together. Yes I am pissed about the cost of rego for my bike but I'm more pissed by fact that rego on my ute and van are both neatly 3 x the cost of the rego on my car even tho they are all registered as private motor vehicles. There are only two of us in my household and we can't drive/ride 4 vehicles at the same time.

We need to get all those that own multiple vehicles onto this. Those with rods, play cars such as Mustangs etc are all getting ripped off. We are getting bogged down on the amount we as bikers are paying. The amount is irrelevant. the key thing is we are all being raped by the ACC system.

You are correct, we were used as a smoke screen by Nick Smith & his mates & they slipped the higher fee's for utes & vans in without opposition. Sadly the AA are not interested & the Hot rod clubs are basically toothless. I would have thought the commercial vehicle owners would have kicked up a stink, but the are factionalised & have no organisation.

The government have picked on a series of relatively small groups & nailed them quite effectively. Motorcycles,scooters, utes, vans, light trucks. all have had an increase in their Registrations due to the increases in ACC levies. The ONLY group to make some noise was the motorcyclists, the rest just bent over & accepted that they had been screwed up the arse!

What made this even better was that MOST ute & van owners didn't realise that they had been screwed over until they had to renew the registration on their vehicles. By then it was too late to do anything except cry about it

Originally Posted by BoristheBiter

Is your ute and van diesel?

doesn't matter, the Rego is up on both & by MORE than we pay as riders.

Zamiam - 24th April 2011, 21:51
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Yeah both my ute and van are diesels and yeah first I realized was when i went to reregister them. I love getting reamed by politicians and beauracrats NOT

BoristheBiter - 25th April 2011, 10:40
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Originally Posted by jafar

doesn't matter, the Rego is up on both & by MORE than we pay as riders.

Originally Posted by Zamiam

Yeah both my ute and van are diesels and yeah first I realized was when i went to reregister them. I love getting reamed by politicians and beauracrats NOT

Because you pay no ACC on diesel that is why the cost of rego is higher as i guess you well know.
So i guess you are happier to have higher diesel prices but lower rego.

jafar - 25th April 2011, 13:32
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Originally Posted by BoristheBiter

Because you pay no ACC on diesel that is why the cost of rego is higher as i guess you well know.
So i guess you are happier to have higher diesel prices but lower rego.

WRONG

Diesel is a lower price because there is no ROAD USER CHARGES built into it .
This is why DIESEL powered vehicles have to buy RUC's as well as their registration

Spearfish - 25th April 2011, 13:38
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Don't all go rushing out and buying a 40yr old bike, don't want them looking at those to!

MSTRS:Me - 25th April 2011, 14:24
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Originally Posted by jafar

WRONG

Diesel is a lower price because there is no ROAD USER CHARGES built into it .
This is why DIESEL powered vehicles have to buy RUC's as well as their registration

Sorry mate - he's right.
Petrol has 9.9c/l ACC at the pump. None on diesel...

jafar - 25th April 2011, 15:37
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Originally Posted by MSTRS

Sorry mate - he's right.
Petrol has 9.9c/l ACC at the pump. None on diesel...

Well I learnt something today then, I was under the impression that it was only RUC that was not paid.

Spearfish - 25th April 2011, 17:52
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You miss the ACC if you fuel your diesel boat, but don't if you make your own diesel for your van or ute.

probably kills the idea of a diesel commuter bike to.

BoristheBiter - 25th April 2011, 18:04
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Originally Posted by jafar

Well I learnt something today then, I was under the impression that it was only RUC that was not paid.

It has to do with diggers and the like not being used on the road and because most of them are diesel it was classed as too unfair to charge them to be on the road and too costly to do refunds.

Zamiam - 25th April 2011, 21:28
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Originally Posted by BoristheBiter

Because you pay no ACC on diesel that is why the cost of rego is higher as i guess you well know.
So i guess you are happier to have higher diesel prices but lower rego.

Didn't know that about no ACC in Diesel but if you do a relative comparison diesel has gone up much more in dollar terms than petrol so where is all the extra money going?

MSTRS:Me - 26th April 2011, 08:39
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Um - the fuel companies?

kiwijimbo - 26th April 2011, 19:30
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i agree with the acc rates protest but why the hell have it on a workday when the majority of blokes & chics are working ????

kiwijimbo - 26th April 2011, 19:35
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Originally Posted by kave

I hope you get a number in the double-figures turning out, but I doubt it. Perhaps you would have more luck protesting at a time that people who aren't uni students, shift workers or unemployed can attend.

i couldnt agree more

Gearup - 27th April 2011, 09:37
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Typical MAG-NZ, good intention but real bad organising.

StoneY - 27th April 2011, 10:35
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Originally Posted by Gearup

Typical MAG-NZ, good intention but real bad organising.

Thats not a very fair comment matey
As one well experienced in organising motorcycle protest events I must say its a bit harsh to put it like that

I do however agree that the timing is not very well thought out (all due respect to me friends in MAG)

For a mid week event to go off you need a couple of months to organise and publicise, (flier drops, radio plugs, pre-protest media releases, TV time where you can get it etc etc....) and get the other like minded organisations involved as well, approach HOG, Ulysses, WIMA etc, (the National Forum of Motorcycle clubs would be a great start.)

My suggestion to all the organisers is hold off till a free weekend (eg no big sport events on) and get permission from the Speaker of the House to hold an event at Parliament, have coordinated regional events on (or close to) the same day for those outside the capital

Took well over 2 months to get the BIKEOI planned and that was an exceptional event, I dont think we will ever see those numbers again.

I still say to focus on one factor, and not such a wide spectrum, it loses its impact (I found that out in Febuary last year when 360 bikers came, and only 80 odd unionists for the UNION protest)