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Secret audio of Key, Banks cuppa blocked for release

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Secret audio of Key, Banks cuppa blocked for release

3News NZ

John Key and John Banks met for a symbolic cup of tea on Friday afternoon

John Key and John Banks met for a symbolic cup of tea on Friday afternoon

Secret audio from John Key’s symbolic cup of tea with John Banks on Friday has been blocked by the Prime Minister’s Office from release.

The Herald on Sunday claimed to be in possession of the tape today but say the Government has not allowed them to report on the conversation.   

A spokesperson from the Prime Minister’s Office told the Herald on Sunday that neither party was privy to the recording and therefore it cannot be made public.

"The Prime Minister's Office is not giving permission to the Herald on Sunday because the conversation was recorded in a manner where neither party knew it was being taped," the spokesperson said.

A freelance cameraman says he inadvertently recorded the conversation on Friday after not being allowed to retrieve his microphone when media were ushered out of the Newmarket café.

He later discovered the recording.

The conversation lasts eight minutes and 26 seconds, with the pair discussing the political future of ACT as well as New Zealand First, and National’s likely vote percentage.

Herald reporter Jonathan Milne has listened to the recordings - dubbed the "teapot tapes" – and wrote today they have the potential to "throw a rocket" into the election campaign.

Mr Milne labelled the conversation a “game-changer”.

Labour's Epsom candidate David Parker says the recording should be made public while ACT leader Don Brash says it would be “unethical”.

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Comments

14/11/2011 7:19:30 p.m.

mikaere wrote:

Where there,s smoke there,s fire so lets hear what the real truth is. If they have something to hide, to bad ,we the public have a right to know.

14/11/2011 10:41:30 a.m.

cherie wrote:

@Clarke You were one of the ones bleating on about police info gathering laws. You absolutly should be allowed to hold a private conversation be it in a cafe or your own front yard. If you are doing something criminal then you no longer have the right to privacy. I somehow get the feeling that what these two were talking about wasnt ilegal. And the Herald did not say they would lose the election they said it was game changing. More rubbish from gutter journos

14/11/2011 9:52:34 a.m.

Hugsy wrote:

Poor Black Bob - have you read the papers in NZ lately - we are already well down the road of untrustworthy reporting. The act of NOT printing the tape is to me more a reflection of how close we already are to the Murdoch style controlled reporting than the actual taping of a conversation of such a staged event. I agree with Clarke - you invite 40 new reps to a 'symbolic' cup of tea then then act indignant that someone wants to tape what you say at said staged event! What gets me is the pure arrogance and smugness at both Johns at discussing anything they now want to hide while the media are within spitting distance. Unbelievable!!

14/11/2011 8:32:37 a.m.

Wiseacre wrote:

A mysterious pouch containing a remotely controlled electronic device is left on the table next to the Prime Minister? What are his retinue of security guards being paid for exactly? This is a setup. Smoke and mirrors, carefully designed and stage-managed to distract the people from the real issues. With less than ten working days until the election, the media should be focused on questioning National's performance over the last 3 years & providing analysis and critique of the various policies and directions being promoted by the different political parties. Instead, the media - and thus the people - are being distracted with inanities like speculating on what juicy information might be contained within the recording. This keeps the airwaves and the narrative focused on Key, National and ACT while sidelining Labour and the Greens, and denying the voters any real critical analysis of the different policies being offered by the different parties. The recording will be *leaked* shortly before the election. It will contain nothing of real substance - a carefully stage-managed soundbite or two *straight from the horses mouth* that advantages the right while subtly undermining the left; a soundbite that will stick in the voters mind until the voting booth; a soundbite that can't be fact-checked, verified or disputed before the election due to a lack of time. The puppet-masters are turning our democracy into a farcical sideshow. Don't allow yourself to be manipulated.

14/11/2011 7:39:23 a.m.

erik wrote:

you labour sickos are stupid

14/11/2011 12:08:29 a.m.

ShonKey wrote:

Who says it is illegal to record what happens in a public cafe? Let sneaky Key seek an injunction against publication of the transcript if he wants. He will lose!

13/11/2011 11:27:48 p.m.

Kim wrote:

What i don't understand is, if the media were invited to this event to filmed it surely its not unreasonable to gain an audio? Did they specificly sign contracts that said that they wouldn't tape them. Any court would say the expectation of audio recording at an invited photo op would be reasonable unless specificly denied. The heralds just showing its true blue colours. A true unbiased media would test it in court.

13/11/2011 11:15:15 p.m.

Paul wrote:

Leaked tape

John Banks: Hey Johny, thanks for the tea. What it took you so long?
John Key: Banksy, I wanted to show you who is the boss. I manipulate New Zealand you think you and Brash can come into my zone and can tell me how to run the country
John Banks: No no, I never said that it was Don who is just on crack at the moment
John Key: well let him know that if you get 2 seats you will get it because of me, and don't forget that. And stop criticising my policies. I am key player in this election and to NZ gold mine.
John Banks: Ok, My mates in Australia are already cashing up from bonds and are eagerly waiting for the sale, so once you are the PM again when will the process begin.
John Key: What? why wait, I know, i will be the PM so we have already started the process and I don't want my mates in Australia to wait any longer as the longer it takes the more interests they loose.
John Banks: yeah yeah, you know what I don't know how you do it but you are amazing. I saw this interviewer on tv, he asked one person, who do you support? he said John Key, he then asked do you support his asset sales policy ? he said no, yet he will vote for you, just simply awesome. How do you do it?
John Key: shhh. I hope no one is listening to this. Ok, just a little secret between us. It is not me, It is our spin doctors we have hired, who we can only afford by cutting jobs in some of the Hospitals.

...lol

13/11/2011 10:48:46 p.m.

Gaynor wrote:

Totally unacceptable in NZ. Isn't this what happened in England recently?

13/11/2011 10:10:07 p.m.

Clarke wrote:

What everyone seems to have missed is Key doesnt want the conversation made public... he had it in a public place.. so by definition it wasnt private... journalists were also invited to come along... so again not private. But the herald has acknowledged that Key would likely lose the general election if details of the recordings got out... so why arent you focusing on the fact that John Key has a HUGE secret he isnt telling?. Its backhanded and extremely dirty that I can guarantee.