If National wins ...

[elZorro]

That is interesting and surprising. Most landlords I know, and I know plenty, just keep buying and rarely sell. As far as home-owners go, most of my acquaintances have been in same house for decades. I must only know boring types. I'll tell them that!

FP, I've been trying to find out what proportion of residential rentals are owned by investors with just one rental property. It has been suggested by someone on here it's 80%, but I cannot find that data anywhere. You're suggesting that serious investors just keep adding to their portfolios, in which case I think the 80% figure is unrealistic.

Anyway, in 2012 the Reserve Bank had a look at the performance of various investments since 1989, and concluded that owning a farm(s) had been the best bet. They also covered some of the tax implications of investments. Since we've had a big payout year in 2014, and farm prices usually tend to be sticky afterwards, the data is probably still relevant. Residential rental property was next, and towards the tail was commercial property.

http://www.reservebank.govt.nz/resea...75_3watson.pdf

[Minerbarejet]

It's fairly weird, all right.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/poli...tress-ponytail

The actual story from the waitress is more involved. How he thought that two bottles of wine would do for an apology of sorts, is beyond me. He's not a kid, he's the Prime Minister of New Zealand.

http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2015/04/22...-the-waitress/

Looks like the media is going to turn this into "ponytailgate" but as usual nobody will be following it too closely.

[Bjauck]

Looks like the media is going to turn this into "ponytailgate" but as usual nobody will be following it too closely.

Pulling someone's hair is a physical assault. There is a fine line between one person's idea of a "bit of fun" and another person's feeling of being bullied - especially when the person "having fun" is of high rank!

[Bjauck]

That is interesting and surprising. Most landlords I know, and I know plenty, just keep buying and rarely sell. As far as home-owners go, most of my acquaintances have been in same house for decades. I must only know boring types. I'll tell them that!

I was surprised too. Especially when I had read somewhere (sorry no link) that Americans have owned their houses on average for 12 years when they sell.

[elZorro]

Pulling someone's hair is a physical assault. There is a fine line between one person's idea of a "bit of fun" and another person's feeling of being bullied - especially when the person "having fun" is of high rank!

Brent Edwards on RadioNZ with his take. http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201751511

Metiria Turei was quoted elsewhere:

Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei said this morning Mr Key's hair-pulling was "weird".
"New Zealanders know you can't walk into a cafe and start tugging on someone's hair, especially if they've told you they don't like it," Mrs Turei said.
She said Mr Key should be held to the same standards as the rest of New Zealanders.
"A lot of New Zealanders know what it's like to feel as if you're not taken seriously in a job. As politicians our job is to make people feel safe at work, not bullied.
"This is another case of National men behaving badly. We should expect higher standards of behaviour from our Prime Minister, not this weird hair pulling.
"It's a sign of how out of touch John Key has become when he can't even monitor how inappropriate his personal behaviour is, and when people are not comfortable with how he is behaving."

The Parnell waitress is in good company. A few years back at least, John Key gave away 240 bottles of the same Pinot Noir as Christmas gifts. He owns about a 10% share in an Otago vineyard, through a blind trust.

http://www.3news.co.nz/opinion/patri...#axzz3Y4HY29PO



During the last election campaign, some politically minded wags had great fun adding a long nose to John Key's images, but that didn't do enough damage to sway the vote. None of the lies were apparently important enough, or proven. By 2017 I can imagine hordes of sprouting ponytails on the hoardings, or maybe National will try it alone and just run the election on their superior policies and results. That'll be fun also.

[artemis]

FP, I've been trying to find out what proportion of residential rentals are owned by investors with just one rental property. It has been suggested by someone on here it's 80%, but I cannot find that data anywhere. You're suggesting that serious investors just keep adding to their portfolios, in which case I think the 80% figure is unrealistic.

Yep that was me.

Survey of Family Income and Employment (SOFIE) data, Scobie, Gibson and Le (2007)

[fungus pudding]

FP, I've been trying to find out what proportion of residential rentals are owned by investors with just one rental property. It has been suggested by someone on here it's 80%, but I cannot find that data anywhere. You're suggesting that serious investors just keep adding to their portfolios, in which case I think the 80% figure is unrealistic.

I think it's correct. By serious I mean those who are building towards making a living, if not already doing so. However the market is dominated by 'dabblers' who own 1 house or perhaps a house converted to a couple of flats. The majority of these people are probably not traders either. Many can't handle the game - it's not all beer and skittles - and get out early, but probably most hold for a few rounds of renovation before it dawns on them what a mug's game it is..

[BlackPeter]

Pulling someone's hair is a physical assault. There is a fine line between one person's idea of a "bit of fun" and another person's feeling of being bullied - especially when the person "having fun" is of high rank!

Have to agree with that, assuming the story is true.

I think the test should be whether it is o.k. for anybody else to fumble with John Keys hair or other attachments to his body without his consent? If it is o.k. - where is the queue for all of us to join? If it is however not o.k. to fumble with John Keys attachments, than why is it o.k. if the PM treats other people that way? Not sure - maybe the PM has special fumbling rights related to the hair of young female citizens (maybe a relict from the medieval "ius primae noctis") - or maybe he is just another bully inappropriately exercising his power over quite powerless victims.

I guess - how would you react if an important client of your employer is treating you that way (and you don't like it)?

Not sure, whether this should smolder through to the next election - and John Key demonstrated errors of judgement followed by weak excuses before. So again - IF the story is true, than this might be an excellent opportunity for National to review whether they have leadership potential in their ranks with a better sense of judgement and less bullish behaviour?

I could think about a number of candidates fitting that bill (pun not intended).

[iceman]

Yes once again they do that. If this woman was as humiliated and hurt as she claims, she should have gone straight to her employer, who could have dealt with it immediately. But as the employer is on record saying, "she has strong political views" and it is hard not to see her writing about this on the Left's Daily Blog (or whatever its called) as simply and purely a political play. Key has been stupid to do this but she will not get much sympathy outside of Labour/Greens supporters and the hysterical and useless media. The media will milk this like they did Dotcon and the spies for all its worth while NZ gets on with doing their daily business as usual.

Looks like the media is going to turn this into "ponytailgate" but as usual nobody will be following it too closely.

[Bjauck]

Yes once again they do that. If this woman was as humiliated and hurt as she claims, she should have gone straight to her employer, who could have dealt with it immediately. But as the employer is on record saying, "she has strong political views" and it is hard not to see her writing about this on the Left's Daily Blog (or whatever its called) as simply and purely a political play. Key has been stupid to do this but she will not get much sympathy outside of Labour/Greens supporters and the hysterical and useless media. The media will milk this like they did Dotcon and the spies for all its worth while NZ gets on with doing their daily business as usual.

There could well be a political element to timing as well. This issue may have been brought up now as a counter to forthcoming images of JK standing shoulder to shoulder with the Australians, Royalty and servicemen in honouring the centenary of the Gallipoli slaughter.