runaway house prices

PHOTO: Sir John Key 

Former Prime Minister Sir John Key made a wisecrack about New Zealand’s skyrocketing house prices during a surprise appearance in a charity talkathon.

Sir John appeared in Magic Talk’s 36-hour talkathon to raise money for child cancer on Thursday.

Sir John made the joke while suggesting host Ryan Bridge shave his head if they raise $100,000 for the Child Cancer Foundation.

“Ryan we know that you’re a man of sartorial elegance and that man bun is very important to you, so if we can get to $100,000 which is pretty easy, I mean house prices will go up that much by the time we finish the conversation and that’s just your house, then you will chop it off I reckon,” Sir John said.

Bridge seemed keen on the idea although he questioned why Sir John would want to “deprive the world of such beauty?”.

Sir John hit back saying Bridge could always grow it back, unlike him.

“It’s raising money for a great cause and you can grow it back, it’s a beautiful thing unlike me who could not grow one back.”

Sir John’s quip comes after record growth saw house prices up 28.7 percent in June compared to the same time last year.

READ MORE VIA NEWSHUB