[xkxlxm]

If there were less people like that bloke buying properties for 'investment' - ie speculation - there would be more houses available to buy for people who want to buy their own home.

When Costello/Howard cut capital gains tax in half that only made it more attractive for the 'investors' - ie speculators - to buy more houses and at the same time it made it more difficult for the person who wanted to buy their one and only home to live in.

If the '78 houses' bloke built those 78 houses he has increased the number of houses available to rent, but I would imagine he has bought pre-existing houses, so he and all the others like him are making it harder for people to buy a house to live in.

I can't remember how close that Costello/Howard decision was to the next election ... it's a dog-eat-dog world.