Truckies protest

[matwithe30 0]

Hah. Pity I don't get paid to go to school. Ahhh. That would be nice.

if that was the case, i would have failed fifth form over and over and over again.

maybe once more for good luck!!!

[emily-mouse 0]

if that was the case, i would have failed fifth form over and over and over again.

maybe once more for good luck!!!

Don't be a silly billy bing bong.

I don't think the Government is that dumb...

[matwithe30 0]

Don't be a silly billy bing bong.

I don't think the Government is that dumb...

im not too sure about that, i mean, annette king managed to put legislation in the same sentence twice the otherday. and aunty helen isnt the most intellegent looking birds about.

i think its just time for a change.

[emily-mouse 0]

And aunty helen isnt the most intellegent looking birds about.

i think its just time for a change.

Ohhh come on. Helen is the goooodest b***h. She came to my school the other day. Managed to advise her to see a dentist. Hahaha. Don't think she listened.

As a matter of fact. Looks can be disguising. "Says Mrs Pineapple Lump"

[matwithe30 0]

she WAS good,

the country needs a change of direction now, i cant pick anybody, but i know its time for a change

[M325is 0]

Also the rant most of you are having about welfare is pathetic. Are you economists? Have you looked at the actual data? I openly am quite right wing in my views but I don't go out there and shout about immigrants or lazy dole bludgers. If you think its really that bad, please do us all a favour and leave NZ. You could try one of the Scandinavian countries that has very high tax and welfare payments, but happy citizens and a productive economy. You could also try the good old USA, where if you have no job you will get eaten up by the system and have nothing - the flow on effect of this is high crime.

So your a dole bludger?

So your saying if we take away the dole there will be more crime (as in robberies) because the bludgers will do anything APART FROM FIND A JOB for money??

Ok so i'll change my statement a bit then, remove the dole and kill the robbers. Who needs people like that in the world?

It might sound far fetched but anything you want from a government seems to be now days.

[CamB 48]

I know you guys are mostly young-uns (not that I am that old). To help you out, what you are seeing right now is economic hard times, and quite possible a recession (falling economic output for 2 quarters). It the opposite to what we've enjoyed for 7-8 very long years, which is way past the memory of most people.

Things might be hard - maybe for 1-3 years. We've got rising prices well outside the government's control (international commodity prices over which they have no influence), weakening demand for our exports due to low economic growth for our trade partners, high interest rates (through policy and because world credit markets are f#@ked), and a populace with very high levels of borrowing.

Honestly, its not that good. It's really hard to find something positive to say about the economy - really only the dairy sector.

[matwithe30 0]

Honestly, its not that good. It's really hard to find something positive to say about the economy - really only the dairy sector.

which is also rising if im correct

[M325is 0]

I know you guys are mostly young-uns (not that I am that old). To help you out, what you are seeing right now is economic hard times, and quite possible a recession (falling economic output for 2 quarters). It the opposite to what we've enjoyed for 7-8 very long years, which is way past the memory of most people.

Things might be hard - maybe for 1-3 years. We've got rising prices well outside the government's control (international commodity prices over which they have no influence), weakening demand for our exports due to low economic growth for our trade partners, high interest rates (through policy and because world credit markets are f#@ked), and a populace with very high levels of borrowing.

Honestly, its not that good. It's really hard to find something positive to say about the economy - really only the dairy sector.

I completely agree.

[CamB 48]

which is also rising if im correct

Dairy is the only thing that's going well - that's what I meant.

M325I - I'm not sure I want you agreeing with me.

Edited July 4, 2008 by CamB

[matwithe30 0]

Dairy is the only thing that's going well - that's what I meant.

M325I - I'm not sure I want you agreeing with me.

right. get you know!

[*Glenn* 854]

So your a dole bludger?

So your saying if we take away the dole there will be more crime (as in robberies) because the bludgers will do anything APART FROM FIND A JOB for money??

Ok so i'll change my statement a bit then, remove the dole and kill the robbers. Who needs people like that in the world?

It might sound far fetched but anything you want from a government seems to be now days.

Hey Shelly.. I can lend you one of my guns... what callibre would you like ??

[pjay 8]

.50 Barrett thanks

[Cale 36]

right. get you know!

[tire 10]

318mouse, I know your a girl and I should be humping your leg like everyone else on bs... but your continual thread-degenerating antics are getting tiresome...

As for the truckies, I'm sympathetic to what they are doing. In Wellington I know it wasn't too bad for everyone in the suburbs. Those getting in through the motorway would have had to leave earlier...big deal. As for their costs going up well it happens to everybody but springing it on them without warning was a bit cheeky as it leaves little time to adjust pricing.

Interesting that labor made this unpopular move so close to election rather than just postponing it till after and making it Nats problem / making it a problem for the later when the public can't do anything about it (like vote)

Cheers

Edited July 4, 2008 by tastic

[antony 0]

Well...

<disclaimer: I only read parts of this thread>

During my Uni holidays I work for a roading contractor. I have just finished a 60 hour week, with the option of working all weekend (they work 12 days on, 2 days off, on the big jobs). It would be fair to say that none of my co-workers are sitting on a healthy nest egg, as mentioned earlier. The (former) owner of the business is a family friend, and he has just sold it. He is sitting on jupiter, (but has gone through hell to get there).

It is not about the road user charges going up, it is about the lack of notice. As said, so they can exploit it and stock up on RUC's. But why not, they were promised this notice. And these guys come from the New Zealand of old, so are naturally a bit pissed off with there broken promise. Also with other things happening in our government, like this PC bullsh!t (e.g, anti-bullying badges and pamphlets, 1/2 billion dollar pay out to the Maoris).

So this is not just about the RUC's, it's a long time coming, its the voice of the nation.

And for or against the RUC's going up, you have to be behind the truckies for that reason. Unless your a Green MP.

Probably all been said before.

[cainchapman 0]

No different to any other day. Tamaki Drive was clear of trucks.

[topcat 11]

personally i think we got off luck.

if this was france,we would see ths sort of thing more often.

and truckies would park-up on the motorways for as long as it takes,till the 'public servants' listen

to the people.

on a whole in my opinion,we on a whole 'roll over' far to easy.

[togate 0]

increasing the road costs is probably aunty helens way of putting a squeeze on road transport as she wants to put most freight onto the rails as the govt has spent couple hundred mil or whatever buying it back. which will then make her look good with the climate change warriors.

Edited July 4, 2008 by togate

[Jeddy 0]

Widely reported by whom. Ask anyone with a diesel vehicle how often RUC charges go up

Its been all over the news for days. This is the second time in 18 years, last time was in oct/nov or something.

Toxins in the air from diesel. Incase you didn't know diesel is less toxic than petrol

Diesel gives out more co2/km than the same sized petrol car.

A couple of other notes, we as NZer's seem(do) complain about almost everything(exaggeration but you know we do). Sure i feel sorry that their costs have increased but so is everything else that's what often happens in bad economic times and having a protest(which has been being planned for over a year but only come to fruition now)isn't going to really change things. Sure gets you some tv coverage and some sympathy.

increasing the road costs is probably aunty helens way of putting a squeeze on road transport as she wants to put most freight onto the rails as the govt has spent couple hundred mil or whatever buying it back. which will then make her look good with the climate change warriors.

I think freight by rail is a great idea, keeps it off the roads(to a certain degree).

[cainchapman 0]

Diesel gives out more co2/km than the same sized petrol car.

Not true, Diesel emits more particulate matter and Nitrous fumes, not CO2.

[OLLIE 26]

interesting read.

trucks can get on with it please, no need to clog up the motorways because there has been a RUC rise. In hindsight the only positive thing about their protest is that it lets the government know that we are ALL fed up with price rises.

Elections coming up - I have no faith in either of the major parties right now, it's sad to see them resorting to dirty tactics so soon and it really does nothing to convince me that they actually do any work. Definitely time for a change, NZfirst/National?

[kiwi535 538]

the whole point is though...the government in themselves have very little to do with the price rises,so whats the point in protesting..even the road transport association agree that RUC have to go up so that the truckies pay there share of road maintainence and construction.The most unjust part about it is there is very little break in the road user charges for the increasing numbers of fuel efficient small deisels.I wonder which party freidlander supports?

[elmarco 56]

Poor truck drivers - give me a break! From what I gather, truck drivers are very well paid for what they do. As someone mentioned earlier, they are a bit like farmers, whinging about how hard life is when really they get extremely well rewarded for their efforts. If life was so tough for truck drivers, why are most of them still doing it? The logical thing to do would be moving to another industry. The fact that this isn't happening can only suggest its not such a bad line of work to be in. I have the same issue with school teachers striking, or anyone striking for that matter.

Anyway, why are they so concerned about rising RUC's? It doesn't effect their take home pay each week. As they said it gets passed onto the consumer, and in most cases the individual truckies don't pay for RUC's, the trucking companies do.

I think you might find that the truckies end up getting squeezed at both ends. Their customers are reluctant to accept price increases (at best) and they have no choice but to accept the higher pump prices and whatever road charges the government chooses to levy.

You might also be surprised at how many of what appear to be 'big company' vehicles are actually owner operators under contract - so they feel it right in the pocket themselves unless they can pass it on. I don't remember seeing too many big rigs parked on the street in St Heliers or Remuera, so I am pretty sure that there is not a bunch of rich listers driving trucks.

As for why are most of them still doing it? I suspect because it puts food on the table and is difficult to walk away from what amounts to a million dollar investment if you are talking about a new tractor trailer unit. Especially if you are a 50 year old that has never done anything else.

[elmarco 56]

Elections coming up - I have no faith in either of the major parties right now, it's sad to see them resorting to dirty tactics so soon and it really does nothing to convince me that they actually do any work. Definitely time for a change, NZfirst/National?

I was wondering if Labour were suicidal... Why do something like that so close to an election? Even a blind man in Antarctica could see that it wouldn't be popular.