A big thank you to Matt Wenlock from
Westpac for inviting me to be his guest at the breakfast with John Key this
morning (Thursday 14 June).
A very VERY interesting take on what NZ
must do over the next few years to become “economic All Blacks.” No notes … but
John was able to rattle off some amazing statistics in relation to some key
issues facing the country.
A really down-to-earth, entertaining
speaker.
Did you know:
*
40% of our exports go to
Australia & the next highest on the list is China followed by
the US. Only 7% of our exports go to Europe;
*
13% of working age adults in NZ
are on a benefit, with 1/3 of Maori on a benefit
*
1 in 5 students are currently
leaving our education system with inadequate numeracy & literacy skills
Some fundamental solutions to improve NZ’s
lot:
1.
increase our competitiveness (through
lean manufacturing & productivity gains) while keeping our interest &
wage costs down;
2.
increase the VALUE of our
products & services
3.
for reliance on benefits to
change there must be a break in the cycle through raising
a)
expectations/aspirations;
b)
education
c)
offering the same opportunities
across the board
I think some interesting times are ahead.
Talk soon …
