Next BIG Protest with StoneY and the Unions

**riffer** · 16th February 2010, 07:02

Originally Posted by yungatart

I can't be there, much as I would love to, but I have given the lovely Mstrs the day off to 'wave the flag' for both of us.
I will be thinking of you all as you try once again to get our message across!

NOW GO MAKE NOISE!!!!!!!

Good on you for letting John go. If I don't see him today could you please pass on a huge thanks from me to him. I owe him so much for his help with my speech - the stuff he's contributed has gone massively towards it - he's nearly written most of it for me so I hope he likes it.

**Nasty** · 16th February 2010, 07:04

So I should let him continue to sleep in ....

He will be on the way well in time

**sinfull** · 16th February 2010, 07:06

Originally Posted by yungatart

I can't be there, much as I would love to, but I have given the lovely Mstrs the day off to 'wave the flag' for both of us.
I will be thinking of you all as you try once again to get our message across!

NOW GO MAKE NOISE!!!!!!!

I presume he's left already, but if he has a mobile on him text him and tell him i'll be at the otaki mobil at 10 if he wants to roll in and slap me upside the head to let me know it's him so i can join his jaunt in to town !
Edit :

Originally Posted by Nasty

So I should let him continue to sleep in ....

He will be on the way well in time

Awww sounds like he's way past here lol

**yungatart** · 16th February 2010, 07:08

Originally Posted by riffer

Good on you for letting John go. If I don't see him today could you please pass on a huge thanks from me to him. I owe him so much for his help with my speech - the stuff he's contributed has gone massively towards it - he's nearly written most of it for me so I hope he likes it.

Hey, no worries, Simon.
What he wrote was for all of us, to use to help repeal this idiocy that National are hell bent on.
He will be happy to have been able to help.
Thanks should go to you for delivering our message for us! You rock!

**riffer** · 16th February 2010, 07:08

Originally Posted by StoneY

Its go time

See you all there

Thanks to all who have dilligently supported this, and even those who have argued against it helped clarify some issues in regards to where personal politics and standing up for whats RIGHT cross each other

Nick Smith replied at last yesterday and has refused to speak, see a delegation or even attend this rally

We have him on the political ropes i reckon (but im a glass half full guy lol)

I'm not surprised. No-one likes being reminded that they are liars.

**StoneY** · 16th February 2010, 07:11

Originally Posted by sinfull

Will be along for this one !
Have noticed that there aint the same publicity as the last though, 90% of the guys i've been reminding had no idea it was on !

We let the Unions do the publicity bro, epic fail as opposed to our version of 'spreading the word'
But I was accosted in Levin morning after ACDC by concert goers who had seen the ads at the Stadium and tried to 'recruit' me and Mykro LOL

See ya there Bill

**yungatart** · 16th February 2010, 07:13

Originally Posted by sinfull

I presume he's left already, but if he has a mobile on him text him and tell him i'll be at the otaki mobil at 10 if he wants to roll in and slap me upside the head to let me know it's him so i can join his jaunt in to town !
Edit :

Awww sounds like he's way past here lol

He left yesterday, mate, and availed himself of Kari's legendary hospiutality.
He's getting too old to ride there and back in a day

**girlzchris** · 16th February 2010, 08:36

see you there...

**Bounce001** · 16th February 2010, 08:49

Go hard guys. Wish I could be there. No leave left

**Her_C4** · 16th February 2010, 09:00

Please don't shoot me, BUT...

I have not had time to go through all these posts and find the right detail, so can someone please clarify for me what time I need to be at parliament with camera in hand to capture the action as everyone arrives?

**riffer** · 16th February 2010, 09:00

Kia Ora Katoa, Hello, my name is Simon Gotlieb, and I’m a motorcyclist.

I’d like to let you know how we got involved in all this and why we’re here today…

In October last year, the government announced that motorcyclists were to pay up to 400% increases in their ACC levies on registrations. Obviously this was unwelcome news, and we immediately began protesting, and investigating the reasoning behind such a huge increase. Very quickly it was found to be based on grossly distorted statistics and actual lies. Soon after, we found that ACC had many other user groups in their spotlight for big increases, reduced cover and other things to soften us up to lose our no-fault accident treatment system. We began warning the country with our “Who’s Next?” campaign.

ACC and the minister, Nick Smith, countered this with repeated falsehoods in an attempt to discredit and marginalise motorcyclists and their protest. ACC used YOURS and MY money to run an anti-motorcyclist propaganda ad in national papers – before the submission process closed. Those same newspapers all over the country labeled us as ‘angry bikers’ but refused to print the exposed misinformation. Hundreds of ‘Letters to the Ed’ exposing the lies from ACC and Nick Smith went unprinted. Although some leading journalists did investigate and write good articles, no major media coverage happened.

They thought we’d go away in time.

But still we won’t be quiet.

And now?

Slowly the public is becoming aware of just how much extra is going to be taken in all areas of ACC collections. For most earners, this will be in the nature of $400-500 EXTRA every year, just whipped out of your wages. Plus, your car registration will jump by about $30, and your annual petrol bill will increase by around $220. And all the while, at the entitlement end, there are going to be cuts. Now we agree with removing payouts to those injured in a criminal act. And we could all help them sort out the few people ripping off the system - who'd be doing it to private insurers too. But that’s about it.

You may have heard that ACC is broke? It’s not. After all expenses last year, they posted a profit (surplus) of $1.2 BILLION. Coupled with a record $11 BILLION in reserves. In spite of the recession, this year their reserves have grown to some $14 BILLION.

The government claims that motorcyclist injuries cost $62M in 2008.

Actually, the figure is not even half that. $40M is for ongoing expenses for injuries sustained in previous years and covered by levies collected in previous years.

So – it actually cost $24M in 2008, and we paid $12.3M in levies collected from M/c regos. This left about $12M in costs not covered by those levies PLUS expected ongoing costs into the future from injuries sustained in 2008. Well, that figure is a little more difficult to be certain of, but $16M is not unlikely. Therefore the shortfall is in the nature of $30M.

Now no-one would deny that $30M is a lot of money.

But…

First remember motorcyclists didn't cause a lot of those accidents.

Second, the government were claiming that car owners were subsidising m/c by $77 each...

There are over 3M registered non-motorcycle vehicles. If we multiply 3M by $77 we get $239M. Yet the ‘subsidised shortfall’ is $30M? Simple arithmetic tells us that the actual subsidy is about $9.00. Further to this, there are over 400,000 m/c licence holders, but less than 100,000 m/c, which means that most bikers are actually car drivers and most pay levies on more than one vehicle. If 80% of motorcyclists also pay full ACC on their cars, that means motorcyclists are paying more than their fair share. Can you work that one out?
The government says that ACC can’t afford m/c payouts from the motor vehicle fund…
In 2008 $37M was claimed from this fund by cyclists and pedestrians, who were injured by vehicles on the road. Only 1 motorcycle was that other vehicle. Who paid the levies to cover these people’s injuries? Not them!

The government says ACC wants to hit ‘big’ bikes harder...

Where is the proof that this is necessary? MOT’s own statistical collating procedures include a section for engine size. 43% were not recorded, and of the 57% that were, 250cc was the standout capacity involved in accidents.

The government says that ACC want to be open, honest and transparent...

How can this be, when none of their claims can be substantiated, in fact most if not all can be proved wrong? They say their figures have been checked by ‘someone’ in Sydney and apparently they wanted to charge the motorcycle advocacy group BRONZ $10,000 for access to the statistics that they used. Yet every piece of information I’ve used was gathered from stats on their own website and is there for anyone to see.

And if they want to be so open and honest, why is there a clause in the latest ACC bill that allows them to opt out of any further consultation?

ACC isn’t trouble free. But it’s a long way from broke. All these increases and entitlement removals are for one reason only – to prepare ACC to be sold to private, offshore insurance companies. Privatising; in other words. Nobody will be better off. Except big business. And the lawyers, due to the inevitable court cases that we currently avoid under the system we’ve had since 1974. It wasn’t better before ACC and it isn’t going to be any better after it.

But don’t take our word for it. Do some investigating of your own.
Contact your local MPs. All of them. Ask the direct questions.

Ask them why we have to pay more for less.

**BMWST?** · 16th February 2010, 09:01

rolling soon see you all there

**riffer** · 16th February 2010, 09:01

Be there at 11.30 and you'll be fine Chrissie.

**Ixion** · 16th February 2010, 09:12

If there's been anything at all about it in the press,(even today!) it's been bloody well hidden. Nobody up here has heard about it at all (aprt from KB people, obviously) .

I've had another me query the papers about it.