Plimmerton, Porirua

Cameron Bagrie

Rhondda Sweetman from Plimmerton Rotary

Our guest speaker this week was Cameron Bagrie, well-known guru on economic affairs, and a trustee of Life Education.

The main thrust of his forthright talk was that we should expect relentless change and disruption across the economy and society. Netflix, AirBnB, and E-scooters were unknown … View moreOur guest speaker this week was Cameron Bagrie, well-known guru on economic affairs, and a trustee of Life Education.

The main thrust of his forthright talk was that we should expect relentless change and disruption across the economy and society. Netflix, AirBnB, and E-scooters were unknown just a few years ago and now they are fixed in the public consciousness. These are technology-driven disruptors.

Demographic trends are driving new behaviours, too. The 64+ age group is growing fast, and the attitudes of younger workers are different. Who will take over the small firms when their owners want to retire?

To succeed in an era of disruption and rapid change our businesses need to adapt, so we need to encourage risk-takers and be more accepting of failure. Complacency is in itself a high-risk attitude. Sectors which in the past have relied on capital gains, such as farming (and especially dairying), will have to innovate more energetically.

There is an unhealthy focus on short-term results and returns to shareholders rather than the needs of customers over the long term. This needs to change. A quick win usually leads to long-term loss.

Cameron considers housing affordability, child poverty and mental illness as national disgraces, and while the ‘wellbeing’ budget shows good aspiration, so far the execution has been poor. Government debt at 20% of GDP is very low and since the government can borrow at low interest rates, it should do so. But then there are resource constraints, especially skilled labour, so projects can be poor value for money.

To future-proof our quality of life, we should invest more in our children, and pay our teachers more. Children need to be financially literate, a mission which Life Education is embracing.

Cameron’s take on economics was wide-ranging, stimulating, disturbing at times, but far from dismal.

Poll: Have you ever challenged a parking ticket?

Stacey Reporter from Stuff

It's true that you agreed to a legally binding contract as soon as you drove into the parking lot. Thankfully, New Zealand law protects consumers from the exploitative clauses that corporates love to slip in the fine print.

Under contract law, parking companies can only claim for "the … View moreIt's true that you agreed to a legally binding contract as soon as you drove into the parking lot. Thankfully, New Zealand law protects consumers from the exploitative clauses that corporates love to slip in the fine print.

Under contract law, parking companies can only claim for "the actual and reasonable costs they incurred". Charging $65 for a short overstay in an empty carpark is as far from reasonable as you can get.

To find out what to do in this situation, click here

Have you ever challenged a parking ticket?

• Yes, and I won!
• Nah, I jut pay it
• Yes, but I still had to pay

Vote View Results

• 46.8% Yes, and I won!
  46.8% Complete
• 32.4% Nah, I jut pay it
  32.4% Complete
• 20.8% Yes, but I still had to pay
  20.8% Complete

1168 votes

Kmart's list of 31 recalls

Stacey Reporter from Stuff

Hi neighbours, do you love Kmart?

Hundreds of thousands of inexpensive items that pass through the retail giant's checkouts every year, so it's only to be expected there will be recalls – Kmart even has a recalls page on its website, and there are 31 products on the list.

The … View moreHi neighbours, do you love Kmart?

Hundreds of thousands of inexpensive items that pass through the retail giant's checkouts every year, so it's only to be expected there will be recalls – Kmart even has a recalls page on its website, and there are 31 products on the list.

The $55 timber Occasional Chair is the latest casualty, although this is a withdrawal rather than a recall. We don't know the reason for its withdrawal, except Kmart says it is for "a potential quality issue". But what other products have been found wanting?

To find out what else is on the recall list, click here