A stupid statement
The Herald reports:
Motorcyclists revving up for a mass rally at Parliament at noon tomorrow fear crippling accident-compensation levy rises will force some to scrimp on safety gear and courses.
Hundreds of bikers are expected to roar off from Whangarei and Auckland this morning for a two-day “Damn the Levies” protest ride to the capital.
Police expect the number to swell to 3500 as they are joined by others along the way and from the South Island.
I’ve got no problems with there being a protest. Good on them for getting involved. While I support the principle that if you choose a more dangerous form of transport, you should pay for the increased risk, there are some legitimate questions over whether the exact amounts proposed are fair.
But none of that excuses the stupidity of this statement:
But although the motorcyclists are angry about being singled out for annual levy rises of between $198 for mopeds and $493 for 600cc-plus machines, the Bikers Rights Organisation reports growing public support for their cause.
“Many of the general public are really affronted – they see it as just the thin edge of the wedge to a wholesale decimation of the ACC scheme,” Auckland branch president Les Mason said yesterday. “If they can get away with it with motorcyclists, who’s next?”
This is simply moronic. Increasing the levies is not decimating the ACC scheme – it is in fact the exact opposite – it is trying to raise the revenue to keep the scheme going,
What will decimate the scheme is not having levies increase, as Mr Mason wants.
Now as I said the motorcyclists have some valid points – especially about people who own more than one motorcycle – and I support some changes there.
But is is fundamentally dishonest to suggest their opposition to paying higher levies (I don’t like my levies going up either) is about stopping the scheme getting “decimated”.They are parroting nonsense from Labour.
This is like someone campaigning against higher bank fees on the basis increasing bank fees will decimate the banking sector.