Sad to see your Listener column will be drawing to an end, but then as we all know the only constant is change. Recently, your column has been the first page I turn to, followed by radio week and the reviews ... so as someone who doesn't watch broadcast tv and with only Dean Parker's occasional reviews and travel pieces to watch out for there seems even barely a reason to continue to read it.

Okay, let's start with a disclosure: I work for the NZ Cooperatives Association.

Entrepreneurship is a vital part of every successful co-op in this country. What John MInto appears not to be aware of is that co-ops exist to provide benefits to their members according to their participation. So when a co-op makes a surplus at the end of the year, it will be distributed to members according to the extent they've transacted with it.

Whether it's a purchasing co-op, a marketing co-op, or any other kind, ask any co-op member if they'd like their cooperative run by entreprenurially minded people and I've no doubt they give you a resounding "Yes!". It's in their benefit.

In my year working here what I've seen is how little cooperatives are understood. That's such a shame.