Key apologises for drinking age brain fade

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Key apologises for brain fade

3News NZ

Prime Minister John Key (AAP)

Prime Minister John Key (AAP)

By Political Editor Duncan Garner

The Prime Minister has today apologised for misleading the public after comments in a 3 News story last night on the drinking age.

John Key said he voted for the age to move to 20. The truth was he ended up voting for it to stay at 18. So how did he get out of this brain fade?

When Parliament voted on the drinking age Mr Key voted for the split - 18 in the pubs, 20 in the shops. When that was knocked out, he voted 18, and not 20.

But he didn’t seem to remember that yesterday.

“That's one of the reasons I voted for it to go to 20 - in line with what the public thought - but Parliament didn't vote that way,” Mr Key said.

And today his lack of recall wasn't forgotten by anyone.

“Clearly it's either another brain fade from the Prime Minister or he's simply not telling the truth and Kiwis deserve better than that from the Prime Minister,” Labour deputy leader Grant Robertson said.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters thinks there is a bigger problem.

“The Prime Minister can't tell the truth.”

So 3 News asked Mr Key what really happened.

“I should have been more precise and after the words 20 added 'at an off licence'," he said. "I'm sorry if that confused anyone."

Mr Key was in Rarotonga when his vote was cast, and as a proxy, he would have had to sign it.

“If a member is going to cast a proxy vote a member has to put their name to it,” Mr Robertson said.

Still, Mr Robertson wasn't going to let this one go in Parliament, even if Mr Key wasn't there.

“I seek leave of the House to table the personal vote record on the drinking age of 18 from Mr Key.”

So it's not Watergate, but given Mr Key's poor recall over Kim Dotcom, the last thing he needs is a sloppy approach to how he voted just weeks ago on the drinking age. The truth is, he just handed his opponents a free hit - and they whacked him.

3 News

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Comments

25/10/2012 10:03:21 a.m.

carole wrote:

time for Mr Keys to go, he has been unable to control the country and just fluttered about in others. That's if has any gumption left to do so! The country have lost all confidence in him and the government. He is a stubborn man with ideals above his station and you cannot lead a country on this movement. TIME TO GO MR KEYS!

24/10/2012 1:49:41 p.m.

Madness wrote:

You need to apologise for alot more than just that Mr Keys!!!!!! I think he will be glad to be out in the next election because he will have had enough of being caught out and hassled. Yay can't wait!!!!!

24/10/2012 10:38:21 a.m.

Andrew wrote:

He is clearly incompetent and he has broken his civic oaths. John Key needs to do the right thing and resign.

21/10/2012 1:31:03 p.m.

jJames wrote:

@Nick, they have about 2 more years to keep peddling their lies, spin and pro rich unfair policies because 48% of the silly voting public gave them a 'mandate' to do so! I think a lot of those gullible voters have second thoughts now.

21/10/2012 12:24:28 p.m.

Gary wrote:

JK is so twisted he could not even lie straight in bed! How long do we have to put up with this total rubbish we now have running our great country into the ground! JK MUST GO, NATIONAL MUST GO. Save NZ and get rid of them!

21/10/2012 2:47:06 a.m.

Nick wrote:

how long is he allowed to talk crap, it is ridiculous what he and his circus stars are getting away with.

19/10/2012 12:52:48 p.m.

BAZRAZ wrote:

John remember you promised us all a better living standard prior to you getting into government. Sorry what, you said "you" will have a better living standard. Must have been brain fade again. John prior to you election win you spoke about the NZ SOE'S and the need to keep hold of them as the were a real asset to the New Zealand economy, what happened was this also brain fade!

19/10/2012 9:12:22 a.m.

jklueless wrote:

What else is John Key getting wrong? Any ordinary kiwi messing up like he is doing with errors and mis-truths would have lost their job ages ago for incompetence and deceit, and yet JK keeps on dishing out the rubbish.

19/10/2012 9:07:22 a.m.

Vicki wrote:

When you are giving evidence in Court this amount of 'not remembering' would not wash, why is it that our legal system holds the general public more accountable than our political system does the elected, well paid politicians? I think we all know politicians stretch the truth to suit their needs, but there must be accountability, checks and balances. I think the jury of the NZ is saying, 'come on John you better start answering some questions with honest answers!' I think his fear of answering questions shows us all....what has this man done that is so bad that he needs to keep fudging his answers? What is he scared of, because at the moment he is acting like the guiltiest of people you will come across giving evidence, who have something to hide and evade questions like the plague.

19/10/2012 8:24:33 a.m.

sunny wrote:

Key's 'explanation' doesn't make sense. He's asking us to believe that he meant that he then voted for 20 ('at the off licence' which he forgot to add when TV3 asked him if Parliament was out of step with public opinion) Trouble is that option had been defeated, as he himself stated. How can anyone vote for an option that has already been defeated? That's not a rhetorical question. We deserve an answer that makes sense..Why did Mr Key say that he voted for a drinking age of 20 when he in fact voted to keep it at 18? Anyone in the National Party? Mr Key?