Auckland City Compass protest ride

[MadDuck]

Great day and a great turnout given the weather being patchy to say the least.

Final tally for donations from you orrible hairy arsed bikers was $290.....BLOODY WELL DONE YOU LOT!!!!

[Mom]

What a fantastic day! I was delighted with the turn out today, not bad considering the amount of time that has passed since our last protest. The momentum is still there, and will build from what we got today I am certain. A few personal highlights from today, the number of bikers that turned out despite the crappy weather at the start of the day. Managing to catch the flag before it took off all by itself (thank goodness for bungy cords is all I can say). Hearing the encouragement from the assembled during my speech, thanks guys, makes all the difference. Raising $290 for Rape Crisis - man you guys rock! Making a shed load of noise up Queen Street that siren is bloody annoying Getting the waves and claps from people on the side of the road, and best of all the train driver along the water front that gave us a big toot of his horn. Fabulous day. Thank you to everyone that came along, to the organisers, the marshalls, dont forget to tell 10 friends for this was only the beginning.

[Clean_up]

Vids from today

[PrincessBandit]

What a day, and despite lots of heavy liquid sunshine it was great to see so many bikers out making their presence felt (and heard.....)

Bring on the next ride!!!

Awesome to see some familiar faces again and to finally meet others face to face. After seeing Fatt Max riding with his guitar on his back I'm tempted to throw my sax over my shoulder for the next ride And surely we must have some blues harp players lurking somewhere too....

[Fatt Max]

What a day, and despite lots of heavy liquid sunshine it was great to see so many bikers out making their presence felt (and heard.....)

Bring on the next ride!!!

Awesome to see some familiar faces again and to finally meet others face to face. After seeing Fatt Max riding with his guitar on his back I'm tempted to throw my sax over my shoulder for the next ride And surely we must have some blues harp players lurking somewhere too....

Mate, I am so up for that........the AAG Protest Bules Band, Bikers Play The Blues, or my favourite....The Bandit Experience.......minter...!!

[Mom]

Hello everyone – on behalf of the Auckland Action Group I would like to welcome you and thank you for your support. Well, it has been a while since we have been here. I hope you have all had a relaxing and safe holiday season and a not too stressful return to work. Welcome to the first of a series of planned protests to send a simple message to Minister Myth;
We are back, we are not pacified and,
we are not satisfied and,
We are NOT GOING AWAY!

Part of today’s gathering is to fundraise for Rape Crisis, if you have not already done so, please give your gold coin donation to one of our collectors. Put your hands up guys, they will be moving around during the next little while.

We started this campaign with the slogan “Whos Next?” I see a few of our original protest t-shirts out there and our flag. They are as valid now as they were when we started.

There was a great show of the bikers being listened to after the BIKEOI last year, though I think the raised voices of several thousand bikers shouting BULLSHIT at Minister Myth may have played a part in the opening of doors in that regard. Regional protest rides and the attendance of bikers at Public Meetings all over the country wherever there was an opportunity to have our say, was unexpected by many, and certainly not appreciated by some. Low key but effective protests with good media coverage were very effective, with Nics Myth calling us belligerent (have not been called that since I was a teenager) and Melissa Lee saying she felt intimidated by our visit a few days before Christmas when we delivered a lump of coal to her office. I have been called a lot of things in my life, but intimidating is not one of them.

Our protests were that successful, we apparently won, and the huge levy increases proposed were scaled back to a more realistic level. I am not sure who defined realistic, or victory in this instance but they got it wrong. We have not claimed any victory and are not appeased at all, contrary to what you may hear from the spinners in Wellington. Oh, I mean spin doctors for Myth and ACC.

Let’s just debunk the LIE that ACC is broke. ACC is NOT broke, despite the government spinners telling us it is. The reality is ACC did not return as good a result financially as was expected last fiscal year, it did show a loss by comparison to projections. ACC have described this as a temporary problem primarily due to returns on international investments being lower than anticipated due to the world economic recession. Mind you the investments still returned around 3% not a bad return all things considered. Claim rates were also higher than forecast and medical costs very much increased. So ACC did not make the profit expected and reported a paper loss. It still managed to pay a dividend of $700M to the government though so things were not that bad. In fact in cash terms ACC had after all payouts $1B more in funds than it did at the beginning of the year. Can someone define broke again for me?

The government want ACC to be a fully funded model, this has been a requirement since the late 1990’s, originally this was to be by 2014, but the date has been pushed out to 2019 as a result of pressure brought to bear. This allows them to make smaller increases in levies than originally proposed, but make no mistake about this; the levies will continue to rise in large lumps for a few more years yet.

All this to fully fund a contingent liability. Now I wont bore you all with a big pile of accounting jargon, but basically they have estimated how much they will have to pay out in the future for claims and put that figure in their accounts as a potential future expense, and that is the amount that they are wanting to have in the bank (or invested earning interest more accurately). The question is why? The answer was given last week by Ross Wilson in a radio interview – to make the scheme more attractive to Australian Insurers, when the government sell it.

The problem for me with this is ACC have a social contract with the people of New Zealand and that can not be over ridden so easily.


ACC was designed by Owen Woodhouse to provide a scheme for all Nzers to benefit from in times of injury. Begun in 1974, it was (and is) unique in the world, because it negated the need to sue through the courts. In return for giving up that right, we received a system of compensation that treated everyone fairly. It was never user-pays, everyone contributed equally, and the fund covered you regardless of fault. The combined community provided the resources so that an individual need not be disadvantaged through injury. Everyone subsidised everyone else. Within those parameters, there is no justification for treating any group of potential claimants any differently.


What do we want? It’s simple. No-fault setting of levies. One category for all motor vehicles. No separate levy for motorcycles. Equal contributions. Don’t penalise us for our choice of transport, or our leisure activity. Don’t penalise us for our vulnerability. Accidents and injuries are the result of mistakes. And for motorcyclists, half of these mistakes aren’t even ours. We should not be paying higher levies for being the victim of a mistake.


Well it did not take too long for WHOS NEXT to make its reality known. In fact some people are only just realising the impact of the changes that are being brought to ACC at the moment. Our initial outrage came with a very healthy dose of reality, we always knew that the powers that be were attempting to slam us in the face with a huge levy hike, hoping like hell we would accept a lesser one with good grace as we have done in the past. Well slap us hard enough and often enough and we bite back, this time we bring friends with us. There are many other groups small and large that are being, and will be adversely affected by the changes that are happening to ACC, I invite all of them to join with us, use our energy and strength to bring your message to the government too.


I want to share a quote with you. “Our social responsibilities are not to be tested by clever equations or the latest economic dogma. They depend on decent fellow feeling and the ideas and ideals that support it. That I am sure is the continuing attitude of New Zealanders.”


Well I think that is enough from me for now. I think we all deserve a bit of light entertainment. So I would like to invite Fatt Max to step up here and strut his stuff.


Thanks for that, don’t forget folks that all of FM music is available for sale and download at amplifier.co.nz, all proceeds raised are donated to charity.


We have had a bit of a count up of the money raised today and I am delighted to announce we have gathered up $290, you guys are fantastic!

Well done guys! Thank you very much.

Stay safe, see you soon.

[Fatt Max]

Over 100 bikes riders and pillions attended.
$270 cash dollars donated by those riders and pillions attending, to the Rape Crisis Girls and boys, pity they didn't show up today, would have loved to see their faces when presented with that amount of money by a bunch of hairyarsed bikers.
4 points of The Compass, what a damnd good idea Maha.Worked a treat, each and every point got over 20 motorcycle riders and pillions.
Each point arrived at the domain intact with no incidents or acidents.
A suggestion for our next ride. 80 KPH in the Middle Lane wherever possible I feel would work best, slow lane too much interference by dim witted cage drivers who are so slow they can't even get out of their own way.
Another suggestion for the next Compass ride.
Please can we Go Down Q Street from the Domain, all bikes on idle all the way then and no clutch riding or engines overheating holding on hills.
Apart form those two things I'm very happy with our turn out and the enthusiasm shown by all those diehard souls who braved wind rain, slet and snow to ride with us today.
Awesome job Mom. as always.
Bodir well executed mate.
Looking forward to each and every rider who attended today to reup for the next one and bring another rider with them.
More advertsiing this time would I think do us wonders in the attendance stakes.
Brilliant Show troops, hold those heads up high.
MSTRS and YT the Shirts and Vests STOOD OUT LIKE PROVERBIAL Dogs bollocks fanbloodytastic effort you two.
Nasty would have to be our diehardest fan travelling all the way from windy Ol Welly to be with us today, on ya mate.
Fatt Max, You crooner you, great tunes buddy and so fine to see you back on a bike.
To the many new faces we saw today,welcome, with your help we can still give this Govt a shake up and let em know we are not going away.
Amazing effort today I'm proud to have helped out.

Very well said Bruv, summed it al up really.

As Mom said, today is very much a catalyst for what is to come. It is now down to all of us to spread the word and get more people to front up and support the cause. Just look at today and the real solidarity that was there, its fecking amazing. Lets keep it moving peeps.

Mom, Maha, Bodir, Phantazm, Madduck , Caseye, Chasio and all the other AAG team, relax with the piss of your choice tonight, you blimmin' well deserve it.

As for all those who made it today, you do the same. The noise you guys made was fecking tip top.

We had a good 'un today my lovelies, and there is so much more to come........

Note to self - Threaten the Mission Bay Traders Association with nude pictures of me if they dont pul their fingers out of their rusty's and put a decent bakery there some time soon

[Mom]

Note to self - Threaten the Mission Bay Traders Association with nude pictures of me if they dont pul their fingers out of there rusty's and put a decent bakery there some time soon

We had yummy food where we were, but it was pricey on the pocket. I have had an idea though, what about we have a picnic next time? I do a mean bacon and egg pie

[Fatt Max]

We had yummy food where we were, but it was pricey on the pocket. I have had an idea though, what about we have a picnic next time? I do a mean bacon and egg pie

Great idea, bikers picnic......yep, sounds like a plan.......

[MSTRS:Me]

Well done, guys and guyesses. Proud of you all.

[Mom]

Well done, guys and guyesses. Proud of you all.

Keep June 27th free for a national day of mourning type protest. It is the Sunday prior to the levy increases coming into effect.

There will most likely be another protest before that, look for May 29th or 30th at this stage. This could possibly be an International event, complete with treats at the end

You lot could have an ACC protest too. That would be an Auckland Copy Cat protest ride

[caseye]

Well done, guys and guyesses. Proud of you all.

Seriously MSTRS we could not have done it without you and YT's input OUR TREASURED vests and shirts are collectors items already and I'm sure that demand will grow if you are ready for it.

[PrincessBandit]

Some photos from today. My apologies in advance, i'm very much a people person when a camera is in my hands, so hope people don't mind that their mug shots are included!

[Mom]

Seriously MSTRS we could not have done it without you and YT's input OUR TREASURED vests and shirts are collectors items already and I'm sure that demand will grow if you are ready for it.

Absolutely! I was approached by a bloke today that heard about the ride through someone that works for him. He wants one. The logo is cool and says it all really. It was photographed up close by press in Queen St today

[PrincessBandit]

some more.....

[Bodir]

Mom, are you sure he was photographing the logo on your T-shirt??????

[Mom]

Some photos from today. My apologies in advance, i'm very much a people person when a camera is in my hands, so hope people don't mind that their mug shots are included!

Check out my hair! I understand some gals complain of helmet hair

Really neat pics! Was great to see you today too.

[MSTRS:Me]

Seriously MSTRS we could not have done it without you ...

'Course you could. Just not as well dressed!
And YT didn't have anything to do with the wearable art.

[Fatt Max]

Mom, are you sure he was photographing the logo on your T-shirt??????

Wey hey.......!!!

[Fatt Max]

Check out my hair! I understand some gals complain of helmet hair

Tell me about it, I simply cant do anything with mine......