One of National's new MPs says he made the switch from studying diabetes to starting a property management business because it was hard to get funding for research.
On the current preliminary results, Carlos Cheung will become the first National candidate to take the Auckland seat of Mt Roskill. The electorate has been held by Labour MPs since its creation in 1999 — first by Phil Goff and then by Michael Wood.
Cheung earned a PhD in biology from Auckland University. He specialised in diabetes research, looking at the relationship between copper, diabetes, and heart disease.
He then pivoted to start Lifestyle Property Management in 2014, before opening a second business — Enfield Property Management — a year later.
"No one would expect a scientist to become a business owner," Cheung told Q+A.
"But sometimes I think God has a meaning for me. Because of that, I managed to talk to a lot of people in my community and engage with different people.
"I think this helped me to become a politician because I understand the needs of different people."
He also said he had just got married at the time — to Communities and Residents-aligned local politician Fiona Lai, who is deputy chair of the Puketāpapa Local Board — and had to think about his future.
"I can go overseas just like 90% of my colleagues who graduated and moved on to a different country… but, one thing is, I really like New Zealand and I want to stay here as well.
"Being in science is a very hard environment. At the time, it was hard to get funding from the Government. I needed to think 'what's the best for my family?' I want a sustainable income for my family as well.
"So after a long, long decision, a long discussion with my wife, I think starting up a property management company will be one of the best ways to go.
"You can see me now — I think it did well!"
When asked how National's housing policy could help renters, Cheung said a lot of landlords his business works with struggled as well "with a lot of extra costs being applied to them in the past six years".
"For them, they will pass some of the costs to the tenant as well.
"We have our new policy, we hopefully reduce the costs for the landlord… so at least they have less pressure to increase rent every year."
In September, Q+A asked National leader Christopher Luxon whether he would lower the rents on his own investment properties if his party's housing policy is enacted.
Luxon was unsure, despite previously saying unwinding the Labour Government's "misguided… raft of regulations" would "put a downward pressure on rents".
Cheung, when asked the same question, said the rent he charged on his properties was already lower than the market rate.
"I don't think I increased much rent in the past two years," he said.
"Not all landlords will pass the cost on to the tenant as well. There are a lot of good landlords there who will look after a good tenant."
As for how National's policies would help the parts of the electorate who were struggling, Cheung said it was important to get people back to work.
He said he had been volunteering in the community for the past seven years and wasn't seeing much improvement in people's lives.
"So obviously, the existing approach isn't working for them… our policy can help provide more opportunity to inspire them to success."
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