Official response from Ulysses Club President

[ZX12R Hoon]

Peter has said a lot and I agree with him 100%.

I'll just add my thoughts.

The Statement of Position on the front page of the Ulysses National Website is the position we have and hold to. http://www.ulysses.org.nz/

I was at the meeting with Mr Smith in his office and at the Akarana Yacht Club meeting last night so I have a unique insight to these statements.

In Wellington we didn’t agree or accept that increases were either justified or acceptable, only apparently inevitable given the intractable attitude of the Minister and the unscrupulous actions of ACC.

The major statement, made by Les Mason and heartily agreed to by all twelve biking representatives, was that there should be a single ACC rate for ALL PRIVATE PASSENGER MOTOR VEHICALS. Vans, SUV's cars and motorcycles.

Last night at Akarana Mr Smith started this contencious phase of the meeting by attacking BRONZ for not being interested in working with ACC to provide Rider training/ injury prevention programs (Les Mason was on his feet and demanding a retraction on that) Nick Smith went on to say that Ulysses had been very good in it’s workings with ACC to provide these things, (now this is where I get a little lost because Les was making that much noise that I couldn’t really hear what Nick said next). I’d make these points-


1. The Statement of position is publically stated, it's hard to believe that anyone would think that the National Committee of a Club of 3200 plus motorcyclists would have so little integrity as to say something like that reportedly said by Nick Smith after placing that statement on the front page of our National website.

2. We are all bikers on the National Committee, there is no way that we would ever accept those terms under any circumstances.


I have been trying to work up a coalition of interested groups, I truely beleive that it is the only practcal way forward. There are a number of bike interest groups plus many more diverse ones, Victims of abuse, Womens rights, ACCFutures etc and there will be more as the proposed levies start to bite. We are all fighting our little fights on our own little issues when the real issue is the overall changes to the phylosophy of ACC, away from that which the citizens of NZ agreed to and gave up the right to sue for. We all should be getting together to fight that big fight and by doing that we will win our small battles.

Also every biker should be advocating to anyone who will listen, family, friends, workmates, other clubs, that this will impact everyone in NZ, not just bikers. We need to keep them on our side and get them to understand that it's a bigger fight than just regos on motorbikes. At present the majority just don't see it as a problem, they don't understand and they don't care.

I would like to invite any group to contact me and I will start compiling a networking group with a view to setting up a coalition meeting to fight this bloody bullshit as hard as we can, if we don't make a stand with every option we can find we will never forgive ourselves.


Howard Mansell
Secretary, The Ulysses Club of New Zealand Inc.
Ulysses #5281

[Pedrostt500]

Thanks.
I think we need to know why the media is not chasing up all these lies. Something to do with the free to air broadcasters getting tax payer money to show the Rugby world cup maybe???

I think you will find it is more the "If it Bleeds it Leads" mentality, Reality is that the media would have loved for us to have had a major crash with loss of limbs and life at the Bikeoi, it didn't happen, we wern't following their Script, we have not fitted the Medias Steriotypical view on what we should be like, Ie the smelly, greasey, leather clad, neanderthal biker.
I think the Media have Misread this whole ACC thing as badly as the Government and ACC.

[Mom]

Have a look at Rod Oram's analysis. It's the most succinct I've seem and actually deals with FACTS! http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-t...nd-the-reality.

I had missed that. Thank you for a very empowering read.

[chanceyy]

Have a look at Rod Oram's analysis. It's the most succinct I've seem and actually deals with FACTS! http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-t...nd-the-reality.

That makes for really interesting reading thanks

[StoneY]

I'd 2nd that - but we, as Ulysses, should SUE him. The posts here are proof of damage to the club's reputation.

Bling that man

Yes I would also move with that...

That one too!

Motion carried

[nosebleed]

Levies: ACC's activities are divided up into six accounts. Levies fund four, the government one and a mix of the two fund the last. The process of setting levies is thorough and transparent. For example, a steering committee includes representatives from Business New Zealand, the Council of Trade Unions and the AA.

Last night Nick Smith spent some time trying to expand on the accounts and the various liabilities and responsibilities.
Further to the 3 main accounts he was discussing this quote from the Rod Oram piece suggests that the various commitee members are bending the ministers ear from their own particular agenda.
In the Blue corner we have the Employers point of view, and the Business round table.
In the Red corner, the Employees point of view would and the CTU.

Which leaves only the motoring fund, and guess who...

[Brian d marge]

not trans Tasman asset strippers.

I like trans tasman asset strippers

the one down me local has wonderful assets ....You leave her out of this

Stephen

[StoneY]

Ok I meet Right Honorable Phil Goff tonight, gonna ask what recourse their is when a minister of the crown lies in a public meeting and it can be proven

Worth a crack

[StoneY]

Bump therad

Please see post 1, its has an Edit you all need to read

[Bodir]

How can he claim that he was misquoted. Was he not there and listening to what he said himself?

And I thought I have a short attention span

[RiderInBlack]

How can he claim that he was misquoted. Was he not there and listening to what he said himself?

And I thought I have a short attention span

Na it just Nick Myth BSíng again. We could have powered NZ on his BS by now if it had been of higher quality. Should sent Nick Myth a bill for polluting NZ with all the green-house gas he keeps emitting.

[Tone165]

I wish the Australian Ulysses Club Nat'l committee had half the balls that it's NZ counterparts are showing here.

We have our own battle going on here over freedom of association laws, Ulysses Natcom have gutlessly distanced themselves from any of it and been hiding behind the door so far.