By Patrick Gower
Labour MPs are furious at Prime Minister John Key’s comments and what they say what a throat-slitting gesture, after a man tried to throw himself onto Parliament’s debating chamber.
Labour says the Prime Minister blamed them for the man’s behaviour, but Key says he was just responding to Labour goading at his use of police bodyguards.
Like everyone else, Key got a fright when the jumper tried to crash into Parliament. But within seconds, his political radar was back on and he was attacking Labour.
“You should be ashamed of yourselves,” he yelled across the chamber.
“What? We should be ashamed? No… He’s a mental patient,” Labour’s Annette King responded.
Labour says Key was blaming them, saying they should be ashamed and “it’s on you”.
That provoked an angry response, with Labour MPs calling Key a “scumbag”.
“It was so inappropriate and such a shock to me I responded. I don’t know if I’ve ever said that word out loud but that was the effect on me,” says Ms King.
But it was one hand movement by Key that really got Labour angry. They say it was a throat slitting gesture.
“Heat of battle, side on, I thought I saw him do a haka gesture,” says Labour MP David Cunliffe. “I’ve talked to colleagues who are very clear they saw that.
“This is one of the rare glimpses into the man behind the mask. The mask has slipped and here is a visceral anger coming out.”
VIDEO: Did Key make a throat-slitting gesture? Or was it something else?
Key left the House immediately after the exchange and would not comment today, but his office said his outburst was in response to Labour’s criticism over his police body guards. They say he likes the “entourage”. However Key’s office says incidents like the Parliament jumper are the reason why.
But Labour doesn’t buy that.
“He wasn’t telling the truth, I’m convinced of that,” says Labour leader Phil Goff.
So two versions of events of exactly what was said in the heat of battle. No one will ever know for sure what went down, but one thing is certain; it wasn’t a particularly distinguished end to the Parliamentary year.
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