THANK YOU

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ATTENDED THE SEMINAR ON THE FUTURE OF MOTORCYCLING YESTERDAY.

The seminar was held at the Corner Hotel in Coburg. Speakers included the Shadow Minister for Roads & TAC Luke Donnellan MP, Steve Bardsley representing the Victorian Scooter Riders Association, John Voyage from Maurice Blackburn Lawyers and Miss Vicky Creed from the Orange Knights, the State Emergency Service Motorcycle Club. The seminar was open to all and a wide range of riders attended.

The question and answer sessions were lively and the questions and comments were intelligent and to the point. Certainly vastly different from VicRoads/TAC information sessions with invited audiences.

Shadow Minister Donnellan was straight on questions he could not answer on the spot and he stayed to the end to chat with various people from the audience. Minister for Roads Mulder on the other hand did not even have the manners to decline our invitation, he ignored it.

The Corner Hotel Management looked after us very well and the food was great.

John Liberman and the FREEDOM RIDERS did a terrific job setting up the venue with  a PA system and organising a ride to the Corner Hotel for the cameras. Don't forget their LAST STAND RIDE to Parliament House in Canberra on December 1, 2014. More details later.

Thanks to Bianca and Rob for bringing her racing outfit so everyone knew there was a motorcyclists'do in the pub.

There were a few cameras. ABC TV filmed the ride arriving and did interviews. Greg Hirst was down from Sydney filming the seminar. The second series of his TEMPORARY AUSTRALIANS TV show goes to air on October 1 on Channel 1. More details later.

The clear message from the seminar was that we are being treated badly by road authorities and the government is not stopping it. On August 19 the Attorney General's anti association law goes to the Upper House. On October 1 compulsory conspicuity laws come in. The are very bad laws. We only have three months to the election. If riders want to keep their rights and improve their safety, we have to act now. Use social media . Talk to local media. Go see your MPs.

www.parliament.vic.gov.au/members

Thanks again for coming.

Damien
IRG

ENGLISH ANTI ASSOCIATION LAW

http://motorbikewriter.com/ace-cafe-faces-closure-association-laws/

ROAD TAX AFTER ROAD TAX

MORE ROAD TAX ON EVERYONE IS NOT THE ANSWER TO TRAFFIC CONGESTION. Targeted road taxes making it cost more to use a less efficient vehicle and drive it one up are part of the answer. Drivers entering CBD car parks one up pay 100%, two in the car 75%, three 50% ....

Greater use of hire cars will help. Cheaper, more reliable public transport will help, more two-wheelers will help and walking instead of driving will help.

Around 70% of traffic is made up of single-occupant cars. Reduce that number and you reduce congestion, road damage, pollution and ease parking shortages. 

Some 20% of private vehicles are big, heavy 4WD/SUVs reduce that number and you reduce road damage, pollution, congestion and parking shortages.

Here is a link to a man who thinks congestion taxes will benefit our society. He is obviously qualified for public speaking and probably well paid. Sadly, he is an idiot.

This from the same guy who can’t sort out a standard for Australian crash helmets !!!!

https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/accc-boss-backs-congestion-pricing-025833012.html

ANTI ASSOCIATION LAW PASSES LOWER HOUSE IN VIC!

Morning Damien, 

yesterday afternoon the second reading proceeded, and the amendments were passed without further amendment, to be tabled in the Upper House.  C'est la vie; we NEED to be lobbying the Upper House members HARD!!  It is the 2nd item in Orders of the Day on the Upper House agenda, when they resume at 2pm on Tue 19th of August.  Cate :-)

15.  CRIMINAL ORGANISATIONS CONTROL AND OTHER ACTS AMENDMENT BILL 2014 —
Order read for resuming debate on question — That this Bill be now read a second time.
Question — That this Bill be now read a second time and a third time — put and agreed to.
Bill sent to the Legislative Council and their agreement requested.

http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/PubPDocs.nsf/a8ec6d6ff0f224e1ca256dac007d7747/27812860EA2C41F1CA257D2D00263178/$FILE/14vp197.pdf

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
NOTICE PAPER No. 185
Tuesday, 19 August 2014
The President takes the Chair at 2.00 p.m.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

2*.  CRIMINAL ORGANISATIONS CONTROL AND OTHER ACTS AMENDMENT BILL 2014 —
(from Assembly — Mr O’Donohue) — Second reading — Resumption of debate.

http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/PubPDocs.nsf/83dbd841b8e9f821ca256dac007c561e/9ED49B9531DF839ACA257D2D002867AB/$FILE/NP18514.pdf

ANTI ASSOCIATION LAW IN VIC

Morning Damien. 

According to the minutes from yesterdays Lower House sitting, the second reading didn't happen, as predicted!  It is now appearing on today's Agenda at Item 7 under Orders of the Day.

7.  CRIMINAL ORGANISATIONS CONTROL AND OTHER ACTS AMENDMENT BILL 2014 —
Second reading — Resumption of debate (Mr Wynne).

Unless they whizz through the first 6 items this morning, I would be surprised if they get to it until this afternoon.

If not this afternoon, the next sitting day is next Tuesday, August 12, 2014.

SEMINAR NEXT SATADEE.

ALL WELCOME! PLEASE PASS THIS ON.

NO WORD YET

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S ANTI-ASSOCIATION LAWS were due to go to the Victorian Parliament on Tuesday, August 5, 2014. The second reading of the bill in the Lower House was stopped when the Parliament took the winter break. Wade Noonan MP was speaking against the bill. I'm told the debate resumed last night and was a shambles.

This anti-association law is very dangerous and the AG Robert Clark MP is being very secretive about the details. The AG is my MP. I have visited his office in Box Hill in person as a voter in his electorate asking for a meeting.

I have visited his office as Spokesman for the Independent Riders Group in Melbourne briefed his staff and hand-delivered a letter requesting information on definitions, time limits and safe guards for law-abiding citizens. Scroll down the blog for the transcript of the AG's attack on the motorcycle & scooter community in the Victorian Parliament.

The AG's law is obviously and publicly targeting bikies. But is that the only type of organisation he is targeting? He said in Parliament that if  2 or more members of a declared bikie gang leave and join another organisation, the new organisation is deemed to be involved in serious criminal activity without the need for further proof! If that is true, it seems to me, the consequences are that the presumption of innocence until proved guilty is gone and that the club scene is gone.

Volunteer clubs say, BMW Owners or the Ulysses Club or Melbourne Street Riders will have to check the records/histories of every member and membership applicant which raises privacy issues. And with industry clubs like the Harley Owners Group, Honda Riders Club and so on, will the whole business be deemed to be involved in serious criminal activity? The AG isn't saying. He apparently wants to get his law passed so state powers over citizens increase dramatically.

And, what of time limits? If a person leaves a declared organisation in 2014 then wants to get back into a different part of the bike scene in 2020 or 2025, is that person still deemed to be a serious criminal. The AG isn't saying.

Then there's cost? What is the way for a motorcycle or scooter club to get off the declared list if falsely accused or if 2 or more riders from a declared club join without the committee being made aware of their past? the AG isn't saying. He is saying that anyone who disputes his police regarding his anit-association law pays their own costs. How many motorcycle or scooter clubs can afford lengthy and expensive court cases?

Are the definitions in the bill loose enough to target other "enemies of the state"? Will the AG's anti-association law be used against unions for example. No word on that yet.

This letter was written to an IRG member. It tells us little but that the threat is very real. The AG has not done the IRG the courtesy of any sort of reply, let alone answering our questions.

These emails came in this morning. If anyone can get in to the public gallery today, please do.

Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2014 9:46 AM

Subject: Re: ANTI ASSOCIATION LAW?

Morning Damien, yes, Henry was there, and I had a couple of missed messages from him on Facebook, and a missed call on my mobile.  Was out to it for the day with another migraine.

This is from yesterdays Minutes . . .

Bills debated Second reading debate continued
Criminal Organisations Control and Other Acts Amendment Bill 2014

Powers of Attorney Bill 2014. 
The Assembly did not pass any bills
Government business program
Bills the Assembly will complete by 4.00 pm on Thursday 7 August 2014
Criminal Organisations Control and Other Acts Amendment Bill 2014
. . . and this is where it is on todays agenda . . .

AGENDA ITEM 13. CRIMINAL ORGANISATIONS CONTROL AND OTHER ACTS AMENDMENT BILL 2014 —

Second reading — Resumption of debate (Mr Wynne).
Still be worth going there, but probably not until later in the day, or tomorrow?