We're famous since five minutes ago

[Mully]

Both sides are the same..

I have a dog. And his name is BINGO!!!

There's an old saying that it's the Opposition's job to oppose everything the Govt of the day does or says.

And the Nats will be paying a lot of attention to this.

In all honesty, Labour should have jumped on this bandwagon weeks ago.

Still, good work to keep this on the radar, everyone. Keep it up.

[StoneY]

Winston will put a levy on foreigners on bikes Won't see him at the protest rides, he'll be at a Grey Power meeting.

Well we have enough grey power in my beard alone!!!!
And a bit in the BIKEOI...ooops

Winnie on a ginny toofiddy????????

[wingrider]

And the Nats will be paying a lot of attention to this.

In all honesty, Labour should have jumped on this bandwagon weeks ago.

Still, good work to keep this on the radar, everyone. Keep it up.

Perhaps Labour have done the right thing in holding back only if it was to see what sort of reaction there would be.

Given the massive negative reaction, and that it has also highlighted other issues, they now have a backing from a large proportion of the population to stir up emotions. I bet they will use the same argument that this is going to cost national an election. backbenchers and list MP's will be rockin the boat for sure.
What about the minority parties that fear a backlash if they continue to support? Look what happened to NZ First.
JMHO wise move me thinks.

[howdamnhard]

There is an old Arab saying: my enemies enemy is my friend. If the Nats believed that a biker backlash is possible at the next election they might just might change their tune.
Skyryder

Very true Skyryder , the Nats need to know that this might hurt them. Strength in numbers , hope there will be a good turnout tomorrow, bring a friend.

Labour getting behind us bikers is great news Ixion , it will give us more media attention.

[Pixie]

Both sides are the same..

lying socialists....

All the more reason to use the whores and then toss them aside.

[Ixion]

..

In all honesty, Labour should have jumped on this bandwagon weeks ago.

..

They wouldn't jump until they were confident it was a winner.

Small party like Greens can afford to back an issues on principle, even if it tanks. In fact it's sort of expected. Main stream Labour, they can't risk backing something that turns into a train wreck.

They were waiting to see how we came across

If we'd come across as incoherent neanderthals, or gotten offside with the public , they wouldn't have come forward.

They'll have had their policy analysts checking us out for weeks, and their surveyers checking out what the public think. And they've come back with - "Yes- support these guys, it's winnable and the public are on their side"

They're not on side with us because they love us - they just see the issue as one where the public support us against Natinal. So they want a piece of the action

For interest, compare the reaction of the politial parties, us versus the boy races. Latter have been served up a massive legislative clip upside the head with pretty much all parties nodding and saying "Hit them again".

[Quasievil]

Interesting to note a few ACC t Shirts being sold to labour party members with @parliment.govt.nz emails addys

[Ixion]

My original interest was tickled by the fact that Mr Goff's quote talks about the Ulysses meeting but provides KB as the link for info !


(Which is logical - there's NO information at all on the Ulysses website)

[Oakie]

- there's NO information at all on the Ulysses website

I noticed that. I went to their website to see what they're doing here in ChCh ... nil, zip , nada!

[Conquiztador]

I noticed that. I went to their website to see what they're doing here in ChCh ... nil, zip , nada!

And I had a looksie yesterday wondering where they did something in HB. But not even on KB could I find something. So I got up early and started sorting the house as kids are with their mum.

Then I had a cuppa and a read of our local paper "HB Today" and on pge 4 there is an article about that Ulysses has a protest at Anderson park in Taradale at 11.30am - 1pm today... Someone could have told me!

But a good reason to blow the cobwebs of Shirley...

[robo555]

Remember that it was originally the labour party who somehow 'forgot' the ACC budget was millions in debt.

[Blue TLS]

Remember that it was originally the labour party who somehow 'forgot' the ACC budget was millions in debt.

youre missing the fact that acc made a profit last year and are not in debt to anybody. National has some very creative accounting going on at the moment

[Rayray401]

youre missing the fact that acc made a profit last year and are not in debt to anybody. National has some very creative accounting going on at the moment

Nope, you can make a profit, and still be in a lot of debt to creditors. If all the revenue that ACC are getting are on credit, they could have a huge profit, but if theyre not actually receiving any cash from their debtors, then ACC still fails as they wont be able to meet their debts.

[YellowDog]

Don't have to VOTE for them. Just make National think you won't vote for THEM.

The biker community probably has significant influence over about 250000 votes.

Even , say, 20% of that swinging could put a government in or out of power.

And you may be ABSOLUTELY sure that national back room guys will be surveying the electorates and crunching the numbers.

That's why Labour's officially swung in behind us, not because they love us.

They see national on the back foot and sense a winnable fight.

I don't think it matters who you vote for.

This is just one issue and Labour may have done the same or something worse if they were in power.

That is not important however what is important is that the level of this debate has been raised considerably.

We are no longer a bunch of no hopers (not that I thought we were) to the eyes of the media.

Many congrats to all those who have worked so hard at this.

There's still a long way to go yet.

[Mully]

If all the revenue that ACC are getting are on credit, they could have a huge profit, but if theyre not actually receiving any cash from their debtors, then ACC still fails as they wont be able to meet their debts.

Umm, what??

At what point does ACC give credit to people who then don't pay?

Possibly the odd small business which folds before they pay their earner levies, but for the most part, ACC gets a big pot of cash from everybody regularly.

Blue TLS was mostly correct (National aren't doing the creative accounting - they're just trying to take advantage of it). ACC took $1.1 Billion more than they paid out last year. It has reserves of about $11 Billion. In fact, their CEO was in today's Dominion Post saying how well they were doing.

This has only come about because of a change in accounting practices and a change in policy of how they fund long-term claims.