Bikers rally against ACC hikes

No problem Simon, we motorcyclists will pay the extra levies to cover the costs of the 80% of motorcycle accidents involving other vehicles (such as YOURS) when they fail to give right of way to a motorcycle and (as in two thirds of the 80%) take NO evasive action to prevent teh accident they have caused. Our gripe is not with motorists but with ACC and their calculations which places the entire cost of all motorcycle accidents squarely on motorcyclists, when in the vast majority of cases there are two vehicles involved and the cost SHOULD be shared. The fund IS NOT broke. There is no reason for any increase other than National's agenda to sell it on as a profitable concern to an insurance firm. The reason they have targeted bikers is because in a fantastic strategic move, they can cause a rift between motorists and bikers so that motorists simply accept their "lower" increase without question or argument when in fact they too should be up in arms and placing submissions questioning the acturial validity of the increase. There was a surplus of $1.1 billion paid to ACC last year. There is more than $11 billion in reserves and investments. ACC claims motorists subsidise bikers by $77 each (ignoring that most bikers are also motorists and pay into the ACC motor vehicle account twice, and pay more for their motorcycle rego already). And they claim there is a $50 million shortfall on the account. Motorcyclists contributed $12 million last year. If all 3 million motorists paid $77 cross-subsidy each that would be $231 million - only $169 million more than the cost of claims from motorcyclists (which also include pedestrians, cyclists, farm workers and a variety of other misclassified claims).

No problem motorcyclists, I will pay higher levies than I should have to for my dangerous office job, to reduce your levies

And I know, I will pay a bit more to help out rugby players, rodeo riders etc yeah right.

The whole ACC scheme is unaffordable as it is and motorcycle levies are just a sign of what is to come.

All Kiwis want cradle to grave govt care in all aspects of their lives but seem unable to work out it is unaffordable and some one has to pay.

Goff is dishonest in what he says, it was Labour who have landed NZ over the last 9 yrs in the hopless situation it is in now, speeding toward being a 3rd world nation.

What you meant to say was "In Auckland, A thousand plus orderly bikers ranging from scooters to large bikes, from ordinary commuters, to long standing bikers attended a very peaceful and well organised meeting today". What "tooting horns and revving engines in a loud display" Absolutely not one person at the Auckland meeting tooted a horn or revved an engine. What meeting was your reporter at ? Come on for once tell the real story, don't just spice it up. This is a serious matter not just a good story.