EXCLUSIVE: The Prime Minister and the Waitress

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This is a guest blog from an anonymous waitress about the way John Key kept touching her when he repeatedly visited her place of work.  The waitress contacted us with her story, The Daily Blog did not seek her out or pressure her in anyway to write this blog. We are protecting her identity so she is not punished by her employer or social media victim blaming.

The question to ask after reading her words is if this bullying behaviour is acceptable from the Prime Minister of NZ.

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His actions commenced during election time last year, I can recall discussing it with regular customers at this time, as he was often a topic of their conversation. He was frequenting the cafe far more than ever before. It was election time and he was out showing his face, being seen.

In the beginning, the first time he pulled on my hair, I remember thinking to myself he’s probably just trying to be playful and jolly, seeing as the general consensus of most who meet him is “he’s such a nice guy”. He’s trying to play into that to earn votes, I thought to myself. I didn’t respond positively to his ‘gesture’, in fact I didn’t address his behaviour at all, besides an unimpressed expression. Pulling someones hair is hardly an acceptable form of greeting.

The next time he came up behind me and pulled my hair I was annoyed. Great, I thought, this wasn’t just a one off. Despite my obvious annoyance I didn’t comment on his behaviour. It then happened yet again when he next visited the cafe and again I didn’t respond verbally, but everything about my body language screamed I DON’T LIKE THAT.

No one else had ever thought it was ok to walk into the cafe and pull the waitresses hair, so why did the Prime Minister think it was ok? My reasoning was simple, I could tell him that I didn’t like it – but I shouldn’t HAVE to. He was like the school yard bully tugging on the little girls’ hair trying to get a reaction, experiencing that feeling of power over her. I would think to myself, even a five year old could tell you that if you pull on a girls’ hair she will not like it, I shouldn’t have to tell THE PRIME MINISTER that I don’t like it when he pulls my hair – talk about stating the obvious!

I began to avoid interacting with him where possible, if he entered when another staff member was also present I would promptly make myself busy somewhere else, I would ask someone to take the beverages or food to his table so I didn’t have to. I kept my distance when I could. It seemed as though the more I disliked it and made myself absent the more fun it became for him, the more he enjoyed the challenge of approaching from behind me, unsuspected.

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So the game continued. He would come up behind me when I was at the ordering terminal, tug on my hair and then pretend that his wife, Bronagh, had done it (much to her embarrassment), and she would tell him to stop it. As he rounded the corner behind me he commented “that’s a very tantalising ponytail”.

On Saturday, 28th February (which I specifically recall as there was to be a protest outside his home the following day) he approached me from behind, security personnel by his side, as I stood with my back to him filling water glasses, and he pulled my hair before once again pointing the blame at Bronagh. I couldn’t believe it, he was still persisting and by now he had definitely got the message that I was not enjoying it – that seemed to be why he was enjoying it so damn much. It had really crossed the line by this point and I didn’t need to tell him to stop because now Bronagh herself was already telling him to stop what he was doing, and not for the first time I might add. I exclaimed “Really?!!”, to my manager beside me, and shot him a look of utter disbelief and frustration.

What more could I do? How humiliating would it be to have to stand before the Prime Minister, his wife and security personnel and a handful of customers and say John, Mr Prime Minister, Sir, could you please stop tugging on my hair, I don’t like it, please stop, please… I felt I shouldn’t HAVE to do that. I certainly couldn’t reciprocate his actions, maybe see if he liked to have his hair pulled. Who would dare do that to a man with his own personal security? I told his security that I was sick of having my hair pulled and one day I’ll snap and i’ll punch him in the face. I hoped that maybe they’d tell him that enough’s enough and it’s time to draw it to an end. I posted on the National Party and the John Key Facebook pages a message along the lines of “Stop pulling my hair – I don’t like it!”. Maybe between social media and his security buddies and my body language and his wife’s advice he might finally get the message?

The next time I saw him I managed to successfully avoid facing him throughout his visit, what a huge relief! Friday, 13th March, however, I wasn’t so lucky. I was stood at the main entrance to meet and greet customers, I saw his security personnel enter first and I quickly turned myself to place my back against the wall, then John entered. Despite my best efforts to avoid the situation, without literally running away, he just couldn’t help himself and still attempted, from directly in front of me, to reach around behind me in search of my hair, as he walked by. That was too much, even for me. I had remained professional for absolutely as long as I could and this time I put my hand out in front of me, a barrier between John and myself, and I said “No! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!” as I wagged my finger at him and he reluctantly backed away. During this visit he said to my manager “she really doesn’t like me pulling her ponytail?” and she responded “well, …no!”. He then asked her my name and later, as he passed by me upon leaving, he spoke my name, just that one word, as if a duel like acknowledgement, a standoff. I thought to myself, ok, i’ve done it, I’ve made it blatantly clear, he knows, and he’s making a real scene now, repeatedly, in a busy cafe, that must be the end of it, surely.

Thursday, 26 March, and once again he was at the cafe. I continued to keep my distance, dreading any unpleasantries. Unfortunately, I found myself at the door when it came time for him to leave, which meant, besides passing him, I had nowhere to go. As he approached me he thought it would be fitting to raise his hands high and make scary, suspense sound effects, like the music from the movie Jaws that we all know so well, and still gestured as if to reach behind me. As he towered overhead I slunk down, cringing, whilst Bronagh told him to “leave the poor girl alone”. I looked him in the eye and asked “is it self defence, with your security here, if I have to physically stop you from touching me?” and he countered, with a smile, “defence against what?”. He then changed the topic to the settling of his account and bid me politely farewell, but, as he motioned to leave and I turned towards the computer, he couldn’t resist that satisfying tug and once again he pulled my hair.

As he made his way out the door I said after him “Please STOP or I will actually hit you soon!”. He’d made it clear that he just didn’t care. I had made a scene, I had told his security, his wife had told him, I was getting pretty close to physically stopping him given half the chance, and he still didn’t care. Everybody knew that I didn’t like it, I really didn’t like it. I felt powerless and tormented and I stepped out the back and I cried frustrated tears.

A short while later he reappeared holding not one, but two bottles of JK 2012 PM’s Pinot Noir. He scurried over to me in the very centre of the cafe and hurriedly handed me the bottles, with big smiles, really big smiles, saying “this is for you, sorry, I didn’t realise.” Before I could say a word he’d already hightailed it out of there, the grinning assassin appearing as if he was the nice guy, whilst no doubt following someone else’s advice to contain the situation before it really got out of hand, and I pretty much felt like in my hands was a bribe. “I didn’t realise”. Really?! That was almost more offensive than the harassment itself.

Saturday, 28th March, came and his security personnel were in for their morning coffee. Upon leaving one of them asked me “how was the wine?”, and I told him one of the things I wasn’t given the chance to tell John: “I don’t drink red wine.” What I didn’t tell him was that I only took the wine so I could photograph it as some form of evidence that all of this really did happen. I don’t even know if that was necessary in retrospect, word spreads, and even the local firefighters have asked me about what one of their guys saw. Other customers will sneak up behind me and say “Boo! Don’t worry, it’s not John Key!” or give my hair a gentle tug to see me panic and then say “I’m John Key”.

John seemed to think that his job demanded less professionalism than that of a waitress, yet he’s the one that’s running our entire country. Unfortunately, when our poor country is left cringing, tormented, cowering in the corner, it can’t be fixed with a bottle of wine, and neither was this. I’m telling this story because I’m the only one who can and it seems he needs reminding that he’s not a god, he’s just a man.

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The two bottles of personalised wine Key gave the waitress.

336 COMMENTS

    • John key is the Prime Minister, I bet the employer told her that she would just have to put up with it, or she would lose her job.

      • I know her employers well, and she will undoubtedly lose her job, or at least get passive aggressively “managed out”. This should have never gone on so long.

        • Her employer has an obligation to maintain a safe working environment. Surely remedial action is required from OSH.

          • Totally agree. They have a duty of care for employees during work time. I’ve had work mates who’ve been harassed by customers in the past and they’ve been given absolute support by management, including confronting the customer on their behalf.

            Its despicable and shouldn’t be tolerated though not surprising in this case. Its Parnell, located just down the road from his mansion, and is the PM’s regular haunt.

            I heard on one of the other news reports that upon hearing about the case other customers of the cafe have started pulling the poor girl’s hair as a joke. Just symptomatic of the arrogance of the self-entitled wealth scum who frequent the place and their disdain for the working people who “serve” them.

        • That is good news as she is a major liability – cannot be trusted and extremely disruptive and manipulative – her actions scream naively, politically motivated and I believe that she has been absolutely run over and betrayed by those she shared her tale with. If she had intelligently informed her manager the first time it ever happened nothing would ever have come of this. Very poor judgement Amanda Bailey.

    • All over the world this is happening… The UK. The US. China. Russia. etc. etc. The 1%’rs and their “pets” like the prime minister they are, for the moment at least, above the law. They are all bullies. They all come from highly dysfunctional, abusive families. Hence the need to do sick shiz like what he did to the lady. He and the other 1%r’s get off on it. they get off on causing pain in others. To bully, to humiliate, especially in front of others increases the thrill running up his leg. That’s why he does it.

      Time to sharpen the guillotines, grab the hangman’s noose, fire up the firing squad. We all know that the chances of reforming any of this nonsense is less than 0. The state, the church, the 1%r’s will never reform. Why should they. It’s the perfect world for them. A nightmare for all of us regular joes.

      • I thought it happens only in India. Gosh! NZ is not far behind. In india , atleast politicians do not do such things in the open

    • Sleazy Key-sey! Yuk. This story has legs and has spread around the world’s media. I’m ashamed to be a New Zealander! This example of Key’s judgement brings into question how sound is decision making is on matters of state. Sending our troops to Iraq for example.

    • [Comments deleted. False email address. If you haven’t got the courage of your convictions to provide any correct details, then expect your comments to be treated accordingly. – ScarletMod]

    • Its interesting that on this blog if you want to post a comment that isnt complaining about John Key it wont make it through the moderating process.

      • You are SURPRISED Harry….I am Surprised you are surprised !!!

        Il’d like to give that brat’s hair a good ole’ pull myself…what a fuss !!!!!

        • Do you have a wife, daughter or female friend this is happening to? Your wife comes home and tells you about her day and that a customer/ manager keeps joking by pulling her hair over and over. She complains to you and you call her a brat and then tug her hair! Your name calling is misplaced.

        • Hmmm Looks like a comment supportive to JunKey’s attitude just got through “the moderating process”, Harry. Any questions? .. or is it all just a bit too subtle for you?

          Btw, you were JoKing weren’t you, Salimarin? !

    • Martyn, congratulations on having the guts to run with this. It’s always high-risk stuff, even when you have affidavits etc. I have to admit I was holding my breath until FJK admitted it. Phew! And what guts it took for the woman to tell all. She’s amazing.

  1. Bullying/harassment of anyone is, or at least should be, unacceptable in any circumstances, but being against our PM makes it infinitely more serious. It is natural that the woman involved is fearful for her job and personal safety if she reveals her identity, but in order for it to be put right unfortunately she needs to come forward and provide facts. Otherwise it will be surely dismissed in the usual casual way by the political right as unsubstantiated smear tactics by the left. If she does then I hope she will be provided with financial and emotional support by her friends and allies as she will surely need it. Good luck and I hope to hear developments on this story soon.

    • As much as I agree with you I’m wondering what charges can be brought against him in a court of law. It’s definitely harassment but does it go far enough to be assault?

      • Harassment is also illegal, especially when it seems to have a sexual element as it does in this case.

          • Just out of curiosity, if Key is bullying/assaulting her,and she feels “in fear” of him.. then I suppose those who justify what Key has done should expect to receive what I taught my daughter in situations like this…he would not stop when told to-he kept assaulting me..ATTACK—> KNEE him in the BALLS..let the lawyers and the police sort it out…don’t give up you are not a play thing of some egotistical piece-of-sh#t..you are worth more..

          • Tugging, stroking or pawing hair would only be done if it pleased the person doing it. For some people this will have a sexual element, really. It
            seems a fethish to this man as he has repeated it twice before on camera.

          • yes… really – and if you’re too thick to work it out for yourself, I’ll give you a hint – would he have done it to a young man? or to an older woman? – no

            This is sexual harassment 100%… but the creepy in-front-of-everyone-so-it-has-to-be-innocent kind. It displays his dominance over her in front of everyone and says “not only can I do this to you, but I can do it in front of everyone and you can’t stop me”. And because it’s not grabbing a bum or a breast any complaints get brushed off – just a bit of harmless fun.

            It’s not harmless and it’s not fun. And when you look at how many times this girl, DID stand up for herself and yet he persisted – he should have the book thrown at him.

          • It DOES have sexual connotations.
            Are you such a Key sycophant you can’t see what is blatantly obvious?!

        • Yes, we just saw a programme the other evening where a family’s lives were ruined by false charges – you people make me sick. Grow up and get a life. This was a bit of fun and, you know what, I actually felt sorry for John Key for once over this because most NZers know a bit of fun when they see it. The liberal left are scraping the barrel if this is all they can find. There are plenty of things that they could dig up if they did some work for a change and stopped playing this story that is going to build John Key in the long run … watch the polls in a couple of weeks and see the sympathy vote kick in …

          [Please note that Username “Freda Adams” has an IP number registered to an Auckland-based telco. As such, the Facebook page link “she” has provided, and which claims to be that of a US-based person, may or may not be hers. Please do not send critical messages to the Facebook page owner. Thank you. – ScarletMod]

          • So, Ms Adams, harassing a waitress, who complains on numerous occassions, and indicates her displeasure at having her hair pulled – is all acceptable behaviour to you?

            Answer me this; is hair pulling the limit? Or is any part of a waitress’s body available for sleazy men to touch?

            And why do you, supposedly a woman, think this is ok behaviour when we’ve been teaching our children for decades that strangers touching them is not ok?

            This isn’t about “false charges” at all. Key has admitted his hair-pulling and offered his apologies. So your conflating of a TV programme with Key’s anti-social behaviour is both dishonest and an insult.

      • Yes it is assault by legal definition, Draco.

        Assault
        At Common Law, an intentional act by one person that creates an apprehension in another of an imminent harmful or offensive contact.

      • It is sexual harassment as it is unwelcome, it is also assault. Remember sexual harassment is about power, it isn’t much different from patting a bottom and so on. A sexual harassment charge would be most likely. Here’s hoping…

  2. And meanwhile, the bystanders, the co-workers, the security staff, the general public who happened to be passing by . . . . .

    • Come on!

      What were they supposed to do.

      Tell Key to stop?

      not likely.

      No one who has told Key to stop (e.g. TPPA, employment issues, asset sales ) has been successful

    • Her anonymity rather depends on how many waitresses in how many cafes have been the focus of Key’s sociopathic attention:

      He then asked her my name and later, as he passed by me upon leaving, he spoke my name

      • She told him personally multiple times and made it public that she didn’t like it, so I’m not so worried about whether he recognizes her since she already addressed it with him. The anonymity is surely more for the wider internet, the Twitter trolls, the people from other countries that would look up her address and threaten her.

  3. As a man I am sorry that I am even part of this arrogant species.

    It shows that J Key is behaving as because he is a man, that he believes he is so superior that he can carry on in that schoolyard bullying manner repeatedly, and amazingly in front of his wife! and security personnel.

    My wife would never allow this of me, so why does this man think it’s even acceptable in a public pace in front of others including his wife, to actually torment her as well, I imagine?

    Thankyou for coming forward to tell this remarkable display from a PM who appears to consider his actions are of no consequence, no matter how personally threatening they are, can just boldly carry on this way as he is immune from any proper conduct as befitting his office as both “a nice guy” and PM who is running this country.

    It shows how deep his arrogance of his current power over us all apparently seems in his mind to be free to torment any member of our community.

    I just wonder how many other examples of his inappropriate behaviour are out there, to add to your grizzly account of a “Nero” like character who feels his power of his office precedes any law of the land that he believes that it allows him absolute power over.

    It reinforces the belief of many of us that he is simply out of control and drunk with his mechanisms he has placed over us with his surveillance of us all and beefed up policing over us all, that it is almost at the level of prewar Germany where we are all living in fear of state control now.

    Time key was pushed rather than disgraced but if the elitists have anything to do with this they will do as the MSM does,- which is to mask these inappropriate excessive events as a opposition smear campaign as they currently do to protect this dictator.

    We should all be worried about this display of arrogance of this PM.

  4. Thank you TDB for giving this woman the opportunity to open up and tell her story. It must have been terrible for her not to be able to speak out about this awful issue before.

    I’m so sorry this happened to a woman going about her business earning a living in the best way she could.

    A case for harassment perhaps?

    Seems Key’s actions here are those of a cowardly bully, harassing a woman in a position where she is unable to respond appropriately. Something Key would enjoy to the utmost, almost turning him on I’d say, feeding his sick depraved ego! The waitress’s vulnerability up against his powerful position, secure in the fact he is fully protected against any retaliation from her, by his DPS, A win win situation for Key, using it to his advantage.

    I wish this woman well and thank her for her story, which is hardly surprising of a weak, shallow, cowardly bully, which Key is, preying on someone he considered subservient to him, in a position of not being able to respond to his nasty, petulant behaviour.

    The name of the wine JK 2012 PM’s Pinot Noir – speaks volumes about Key’s disturbed, flawed character!

  5. “He’s not a God, he’s just a man”
    Wrong. He’s not ‘ Just a man ‘, he’s a…. ( use your own term).

  6. Why is it that men in power think it’s perfectly acceptable to paw women. Len Brown is another one (very huggy kissy), and we all know what happened to Roger Sutton.

  7. The guy… you’re right… I mean… what… if you look at it… the…
    …if this isn’t a wind-up… checking the tags…

    WHAT THE FUCK?!

  8. Oh dear . Firstly, I feel very frustrated for you Anonymous Person. I bet you would have loved to have fought back. My sincere suggestion would be to do a self defence course and if that ever happens to you again ? A not so hard poke in the throat with stiffened fingers might work a treat . Another idea would be to flatten your hands as if clapping and slap them as hard as you can against the attackers ears. Then as they reel in surprise ? Grab them by the shirt with both hands and drag them to you then head butt the attacker in the face. ( A little bit of living out a fantasy through your misfortunes, Sorry about that . ) Would the cowardly wankers watching you being tormented have been surprised ? Yes, yes , they would’ve be.
    Well done you for coming to The Daily Blog with your experience.
    You say “ …he needs reminding that he’s not a god, he’s just a man.”

    He’s no man . A man never does things like that . He’s a psychopath . He’s a dangerous , deadly little shit and he needs to go . Immediately . Why is he not being arrested for assault ?

    Ten thousand people must march on Parliament today and demand his immediate resignation, arrest, and detainment due to him being a flight risk until an inquiry is conducted.

  9. Thank you for telling this story, that takes courage. It is incredible that his attempted gift to you is his own named wine.

    I’m disgusted by the actions of some of the other patrons of your cafe, clearly makes it a very safe environment for JK to operate. And a bit sad for Bronagh.

    • I appreciate the courage needed for the young woman to speak out. I really admire her ‘guts’ but wonder at the apparent sychophantic ineptitude of the cafe managers…?

    • You’re right, the monogrammed wine is the final insult. The whole thing reeks of the baron bullying the peasant for not being suitably wowed by him. With a nasty little bit of fetish/maledom/unrequited horniness chucked in. Don’t forget, he’s under the impression he’s a sex bomb. SHE should be speaking for us in Gallipoli, not this delusional weirdo. Why is that he does so well in polls and elections but everyone I talk to despises him?

  10. Great story there, but feel for the waitress. John Keys’ actions are the actions of a sociopath, a person who gets off on having power over others, and he liked doing it, even though he was told repeatedly that he was overstepping the mark. This story reminds me of the video of Key touching that little girls hair before the election, remember that, when he was fondling her hair almost out of shot? I can’t find the video, but it was on either TV One News or TV3, that I’m sure of. So this story makes me think he has a fetish for women’s hair, which is a trait of a sociopath (take note of the traits fitting to this “incident”) –

    *Glibness and Superficial Charm

    *Manipulative and Conning
    They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used. They may dominate and humiliate their victims.

    *Grandiose Sense of Self
    Feels entitled to certain things as “their right.”

    *Pathological Lying
    Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis. Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities. Extremely convincing and even able to pass lie detector tests.

    *Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt
    A deep seated rage, which is split off and repressed, is at their core. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.

    *Shallow Emotions
    When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion it is more feigned than experienced and serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises.

    *Incapacity for Love

    *Need for Stimulation
    Living on the edge. Verbal outbursts and physical punishments are normal. Promiscuity and gambling are common.

    *Callousness/Lack of Empathy
    Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others’ feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them.

    Those are just some of the traits.
    I think NZ should be worried (if they weren’t already).
    Cheers.

      • Cool Country Boy.

        What solid evidence this is again in another case should be seen now to highlight J Key as one who is eager to pall any female of whatever age or position.

        So Martyn, ship the video as exhibit one to the MSM and challenge them to use “appropriate investigative journalism” to again highlight this PM’s horrible display of inappropriate behaviour of the female gender.

      • @ Save NZ – thanks for the link.

        C-R-E-E-P-Y!

        Shades of Rolf Harris et al abusing their celebrity and power! Yuk!

    • So glad I’m not the only one who thinks Merill Lynch’s tame pm is psychopathic. A guy who took 20 bodyguards with him to Antarctica! (what did he THINK the penguins were gonna do to him?…..). Kia Kaha Miss Unnamed. I hope that you realise not all of us blokes are lunatics like our ‘dear leader’ and would stand right next to you in a line to punch jk in the mush – and in the inevitable dock as a result of defending yourself.

    • I was already concerned about his regular flippant remarks that threaten our nation’s wellbeing, integrity, future, etc. It happens so often, it becomes normalised; we become numb and cry “typical”.
      Now, something less nationally catastrophic could be the man’s downfall. If bullying, hair-pulling and harassing a young lady is it, she deserves his year’s wages to cover her uni fees and then some. I think she has something extremely worthwhile to contribute to NZ.

    • We study personas and personality theory, which started back in 400 BC when Plato, Socrates start the ball rolling, trying to understand how humans operate and interact. Modern psychology is based on this. Seems we all fit into one of four general types.

      Key is a strong guardian/driver persona which isn’t uncommon in political leaders. But, many people have blended personalities of two personas. Keys leadership trait also has strong artisan/expressive tendencies. I suspect this outgoing, expressive side was a big part of his appeal to voters in the early days. Most like outgoing people. The leadership side would have appealed to his colleagues who wanted him as Prime Minister.

      Yet the guardian+artisan persona combo is a highly conflicted one, loving informal, chaotic environments. Control, power, lack of empathy, combined with joviality and a need to be popular and loved.

      It’s a relatively rare persona combo, perhaps affecting 5% of the population. It explains all, but ‘at the end of the day’ should a Prime Minister really act this way in public? I think not…

  11. She should take the matter into her own hands and shame the PM on Campbell live, very empowering for her.

    • He deserves far more than being shamed on Campbell Live and then it all blows over in a week or so. Hold him accountable FINALLY !

      • Might as well put the boot in while she can, and he can. If substantiated Campbell is the man to burn down that house. What does he have to fear?

        • Except Key has consigned Campbell Live to the ‘entertainment’ bin, so that will have little effect, alas.

  12. Witnesses to this alleged event must come forward. This cannot be left unresolved.

    Either the blogpost above is a lie – or John Key’s career has just come crashing down.

      • Indeed. In which case at least one must come forward, or else this will be buried.

        It will be interesting to see what Key’s response to these claims are. If he doesn’t outright deny them, his fate is sealed.

        • He’s admitted openly tugging her pony tail, so you’ve already misread the situation once. This is also the umpteenth time you’ve predicted Key’s downfall. When will you learn?

          My pick is that this will be blown out of all proportion by the left wing media, and Key’s ratings will go even higher.

          • History says you’re right and I wouldn’t be surprised. With only Australia as nearby competition, we would then surely hold the outright claim to the global village idiot. However, this time he’s even made Audrey Young’s skin crawl, so hold on to your hair.

            • In a recent poll in Australia for their preferred PM, guess who won? John Key! And he wasn’t even listed! The fact is NZ’ers like Key because he seems normal, ordinary. And because he has proven to highly competent. His foibles (and there are many) are only relevant to our left wing media and Labour Party presidents digging the dirt.

              • You call harassing someone for seven months a “foible”?! You have a strange set of value, Nehemia/Intrinsicvalue. Either that, or your leadership-worship has blinded you.

              • Well his current little foible of harassing young women seems to have relevance in over 40 countries at this point including the Nigerian Herald and the India Times. The only poll he’s winning in the UK right now is the narrow lead over Tony Abbot for the worlds biggest idiot. You should get out more. There’s a whole world out there with it’s skin crawling.

              • If you think being a lying sleazebag and fondling children’s hair in public without their permission is behaviour from a normal ordinary person – then you really need to work on your moral ethics, NM, or should I say Cameron Slater’s copyholder

          • Nehemia/Intrinsicvalue – the fact that right-wingers down-play harassment of this nature sez more about your personalities than it does about the Left.

            Reflect on that.

            • The fact that left wingers consider this even approaching harrassment says more about how pathetic and weak you think women are. Rather 19th century Frank.

              • So you’d be ok with having it done to your daughter(s), Nehemia/Intrinsicvalue? Your mum, perhaps? What about your wife? Come on, let’s get totally honest here; tell us you’d be ok having this done to any female member of your family and sign it with your real name.

                Like hell you will. Coward.

                • Hey Wall….I wear a long , long ponytail myself…..I also got a long goatee….I can tell ya , son…you or anybody try messin round with that and I swear I wouldn’t be half as polite as this young woman….

                  Your arguments nothing but tenuous crap .

                  And you know it.

                • And, of course, @NW wouldn’t mind if it was, say, Hone Harawira. He’d just shrug his shoulders and maybe say “Hone, mate, what a lovely friendly but ultimately inconsequential gesture you cheeky wee monkey. As much as I despise your politics I do respect your humanity, we fellow kiwis have to stick together.”

                • Its also called common assault…..worse than that – it was over a protracted period , by the person who holds the supreme political seat in the country , and most certainly was non consensual.

                  There is no way to minimize it or defend it .

                  But good try.

                  • I seem to recall that a man was given a jail term for throwing an egg at one of our so called politicians. This is assault it is far worse he clearly shows himself to be the narcissistic power mad lying piece of dirt he really is. I myself have been subjected to experimental surgery against my express wishes, which has left me crippled and in extreme pain. ACC have been brutish and bulling toward me and worse still my surgical notes have been falsified and John Keys Tont Ryall and our current Mionister of health fail to do anything even though I have tried all avenues open to me. My God I was offered help from an advocate who is known to me as a drug dealer while ACC uses the police and public funds to fight their corner.

                    We are not in a fair and just country wake up NZ we are at the mercy of corrupt and inept people posing as politicians, other countries would impeach them and others would jail them and even some would execute them, where does it end?

                    Even as a disabled person now I would love the chance to fight John keys in the boxing ring but he is too much of a dirty coward to even consider that one, I guess he is going to need his security detail if he keeps this sort of behavior up.

                    I am frankly disgusted but sadly I believe our parliment is now become a playground for all kinds of improper dealings but the sheeple of this country lack the guts to do anything about it and so they continue to screw us over.

                    He should be charged as any one of us would be.

                    Wake up NZ!

              • Nehemia, you come across as someone who lacks empathy. It is not “empowering” for a woman to be someone else’s plaything, for that person’s amusement, particularly when she has expressed her annoyance and discomfort. It’s quite the opposite in fact. I suggest it is you who has a time-warp in your thinking. In fact, I strongly suspect you are not a woman.

              • That’s very patronising and straight out misogynistic really mate. This isn’t about what you or I feel harassment is – it’s about what this young woman feels about it. She has made it very clear how she was made to feel and you have no special rights to invalidate her based on anything. So if you’ve finished down voting all the other comments it might be time to pull your trousers up, you’re probably done.

              • Pathetic and weak? allow me to paraphrase for you:

                “Stop that or I’ll hit yuo”

                Now think. Then say something.

          • Nehemia Wall you think Keys rating will go higher ,just like they did in Northland Huh!
            Key covered someone elses deviant behaviour and got nailed for it.Now hes in the gun himself. I expect he will inform the Speaker to say its not to be mentioned in the house.
            Most don’t trust polls and saying he is at 49% is just PR,Keys lies rub off on everyone around him, he is a narcicist,totally in love with himself,and thinks everyone else is as well.
            Come on Winston get stuck into him, of course Key will say its a smear tactic from the left, as usual, but hes worn that excuse out.
            More sleaze will be forth coming bet your house on it.

      • David King,
        There is a bit of a hook in your statement that “there are many trustworthy witness’s” unquote to rely on. (my words)

        Firstly would you trust that his bodyguards would nark on the powerful controller of their cushy well paid jobs?

        Are these bodyguards not Key’s own hand picked mates he employs whom he trusts to keep the events Key conducts frequent excesses during his life ?

        Sorry about your suggestion to trust them, as Key doesn’t walk on water and we don’t believe he or his bodyguards are god like honest creatures either.

        • God Damn!!….what a perfect but unfortunately lost opportunity for this women to have given this swarmy prick a well deserved smack in the face@#!!….now wouldn’t, that of made headlines? ..pooh,how I wish……..

        • Bronah Key seems pretty decent to me but who knows?she has been around Key for quite a long time, so she must condone or ignor his rotten behaviour,but many wives do that ,i’d give her the benefit of the doubt.

    • If it’s all true, you’d hope so, but if nothing happens, then NZ has a real problem. If nothing happens, what is the correct individual response to a society that no longer has any… what’s the word? Society will have announced itself as evil.

      I remember harasment being a daily thing in hospitality, but this is several levels above any norm I’ve heard of. Not that low levels are acceptable, in an ideal world, but everyone did their best to live with it. Not this stuff. I like to think if anyone I worked with saw this happening, John Key would be bleeding on the floor.

      • It will be interesting if the MSM does not use investigative journalism here?

        Opp’s I forgot the Key Junta sacked all the honest incorruptible Investigative journalists and now they blog on The Daily Blog with our god of Journos, the incorruptible Martyn Bradbury.

    • You really think so? He has brushed off worse, repeatedly.

      There is a wide section of NZ society who won’t see the problem here. He was just ‘having a laugh’, ‘being friendly’ and she should ‘be grateful for the attention from such an important man.’

      For all of us who see it as appalling behaviour, there will be as many who think ‘meh, whatever’. And will vote for him again.

    • @ Frank Macskasy –

      Obviously the woman involved is not lying Frank, because Radio NZ has reported Key’s office has apologized and said something along the lines that it was a bit of light hearted fun on the PM’s part! So she is telling the truth.

      Makes me wonder how many more workers in service industries have had to put up with similar harassment from Key, or anyone else in the Natsy hierarchy.

      NZH is asking for more info on the issue and is running it as No 1 headline news this afternoon. Hope someone comes forward to the NZH with the video showing Key fondling a little girl’s pony tail, to demonstrate he can’t keep his grubby hands to himself around females he considers inferior to him!

      Seems to me Natsy is full to overflowing with deviants!

    • Too many Kiwis don’t care, Frank. Our society has been poisoned and people will say she should be thankful for the attention. Me – I think he’s a sick POS and we may be getting a glimpse into why he protected Sabin. I wish the waitress would lay an assault complaint, although I can fully understand why she probably won’t.

  13. Thanks to the waitress for having the guts to come forward and sorry you had to endure such harassment and embarrassment.

    Just proves the sleezy scumbag that we already knew existed.
    Get her a solicitor and bring this in front of a court of law ! !
    If we can not get him on other charges, maybe we can hold him accountable for this sexist ; bullying and disgusting bit of his lack of ethics.
    And he is our foolish “above the law” ? Prime Minister in gross denial.

    He plays his bullying games in Parliament as well and is most of the reason
    why we do not watch Parliament anymore.

    He thinks that a couple bottles of his wine will smooth over the shame and harassment and abuse this poor woman endured. Is Bronagh asleep and in denial as well ? What a team they make and how gut wrenching horrific this tale really is when all sides and all nuances are considered.

    Sue this jerk and finally get him out of office +&$%@ 333 +?>>@$#*#%%!!

  14. Dear Waitress, I really appreciate your sharing of this story. It illustrates the challenges of setting clear boundaries and changing disrespectful and unacceptable behaviour. I agree with you that in the world we would like to live in, it shouldn’t be necessary to coach adults about respecting all other persons, regardless of their age or social role. The actions you describe are a form of assault. With the support of your employer an alternative response to this behaviour would be to challenge the person *immediately, on the first offence. “That’s an invasion of my privacy, stop immediately or I’ll lay a complaint”. If it happens again then absolutely lay a complaint. It would constitute grounds for denying him access unless he’s willing to show respect.

  15. It is assault…I would maybe have ignored it the first time, second time I would have told him to stop…third time i would have told him to leave me alone……4th time i would have laid a complaint with the police for harassment and assault ….I know it would result in media bull twisting stuff but enough is enough….the pathetic excuse of a man is a psychopath and I would not allow him to touch me.

    • I might also add I would only give him that many chances out of respect to my employer…out of work I would have torn strips off him verbally and told him it was assault and to back the f off

    • Wow! Even as a woman, I would not do that!!!! You do not play with parts of people’s bodies.

      Edit to add: So I have to get my calculator out and work out 57 divided by x = 19? Huh? Can’t you make the maths captcha a bit easier?

  16. If true, this is ghastly.

    I loathe John Key and everything he stands for.

    But I have serious reservations about the authenticity of the letter.

    There seem to be some date inconsistencies, but most of all, why would a legitimate complainant write to a left wing blog?

    The right play would be to go to the mainstream media with multiple witness statements.

    • “…why would a legitimate complainant write to…”

      By now it’s almost common knowledge what happens when a woman complains against anyone powerful who has committed any sort of personal violation. Unfortunately, the list of “anyone powerful” seems to includes “any man”. The danger of this arrangement should be apparent – regardless of which “side” you’re on. That the security detail continued the harrasment proves the point. The police, well, who’d go to them anymore. And the media, no they aren’t trustworthy. So who?

      You’re right, we dont know if this is true, but tending toward the assumption that all blogs posts are lies because they aren’t presented in the standard media format is a form of unhelpful bias. The woman chose this format. That’s all we need to know.

    • 1. You have no idea if she did or didn’t write to MSM first. Maybe she did, maybe they just don’t deem it newsworthy enough to publish.

      2. You need to be specific, what date inconsistencies? Why / what is inconsistent?

      3. It’s a sure bet that TDB would publish a story so detrimental to Key, so sending such a story to TDB is a sure bet it’ll reach a reasonable audience and maybe be picked up from there.

      The right stance would be to remain skeptical about the veracity of the story until and if witnesses verify some / all of it. Until there is verification we have to understand that it may be true, but its not verified.

      Which is not the same as saying it’s untrue. Just that it needs witnesses to confirm or deny it.

      It’s not up to the young woman involved to corroborate this story by finding witnesses, that’s the media’s job. Her job is just to make a statement, journalists then normally do… journalism. Seek out witnesses and get their statements, then publish what they find.

    • Well you must be the owner of that amazing First Edition paperback:

      What to do if a Right Wing Prime Minister Pulls Your Hair.

    • Jake, the PM has already verified this and publicly apologised so I guess it is authentic after all.

  17. I fully sympathise with her feeling of helplessness in this situation and strongly believe she should never have been put in that position (repeatedly!).

    This entire episode fully reinforces my belief that John Key is sorely lacking in that most basic and important human emotion, empathy.

    It’s saddening to have such a person ‘lead’ our country, and to see how that seems to reflect into some sort of sly endorsement of his offhand, bullying attitudes (which are so noticeable to me right now, from Central Govt to Local Govt right into our school playgrounds).

    He is the Prime Minister but the man is no sort of leader.

  18. Thank you Martyn for telling the story of this brave woman’s plight with the odious bully Joh Key , to me, this is typical behaviour of a bully.
    He picked on someone in much lesser position than himself, the people around were powerless to help as they to were, in some way, serving the bully.
    what an awful position for her to be in and what strength to finally confront the bully.
    what a distasteful story

  19. The man is a psychopath, he will know who this girl is, given his position I do hope she is now living offshore somewhere….

  20. We, quite rightly, do not know who the waitress is BUT the Keys do. And the Security detail do. Their choice to either offer Denial or Ignore but rest assured John Key will be informed. Watch out. He values highly his persona as the good guy.

  21. John Key is a playground bully in parliament with his caterwauling caucus egging him on. The National Party has to ask itself why they celebrate such behaviour. New Zealand voters need to wake up to what they have been supporting.

    Bullying only succeeds when the bullying achieves approval from onlookers. Louise Upston – now Minister for Women’s affairs has been his chief cheerleader in the house!

  22. After all the following John Key will AGAIN lie about this also.

    Funny thing is he thinks he is suitable material for a Knighthood.%4fu#@*(+_ = oh get rid of this slimeball.

    Winston & co, please call for an early election as we have no confidence after all the more than the current old list of hundreds of lies already registered under this man we have had enough!!!!

    The (old) big list of John Key’s lies

    1 John Key claimed that he didn’t know about the Exclusive Brethren tactics. False.

    2 John Key claimed that he didn’t have Tranz Rail Shares. False.

    He actually said he had between 25k – 50k shares, but after a journalist discovered his family trust had also bought some, he changed it to 100k. Still dodgy, but not quite claiming he didn’t have any. /u/jandalofdoom http://www.reddit.com/r/newzealand/comments/293rq9/labour_vindicated_by_lius_error_story_politics_3/cih5yvz

    Herald: Key accused of lying over Tranz Rail shares

    3 John Key claimed that he didn’t own a vineyard. False
    John Key and his vineyard investments

    4 John Key claimed that he voted to keep the drinking age at 20. False.
    One more from NBR

    5 John Key claimed that he didn’t know about the renewal of the BMW contract in 2011. False.

    6 John Key claimed the wage gap between New Zealand and Australia had closed under the National government. False.

    7 John Key claimed that his office had no involvement with the SkyCity deal. False.

    8 John Key claimed that the Sky City deal will provide 1000 construction jobs and 800 casino jobs. False.

    9 John Key claimed that all five bidders for the convention centre were treated equally. False.

    10 John Key claimed that Solid Energy asked the government for a $1 billion capital investment. False.

    11 John Key claimed that the 2011 Budget would create in the order of 170,000 jobs. False.

    12 John Key claimed that NZ SAS soldiers were not involved in the Kabul Hotel gunfight. False.

    13 John Key claimed that Iain Rennie recommended Ian Fletcher for the GCSB job. False.

    14 John Key claimed that he hadn’t seen Ian Fletcher in a long time. False.

    15 John Key claimed that it was always the intent of the GCSB Act to be able to spy on New Zealanders. False. – Not sure what this one means.

    16 John Key claimed that the illegal spying on Kim Dotcom was an isolated incident. False.

    17 John Key claimed that the bulk of New Zealanders earn between $45,000 and $75,000 a year. False.
    According to Statistics New Zealand’s New Zealand Income Survey results for the June 2010 the median income (the amount which half the people in the country earn below) was $529 per week, which equates to $27508 per year.

    18 John Key claimed that he is honest and upfront. False – see above.

    19 Video of John Key on the campaign trail in 2008 ruling out a rise in GST if he won the election. False

    20 On privatising assets, “I don’t believe that’s gonna turn the New Zealand economy around. False /u/John_Banks

    21 update 10/07/2014, “National promised in its 2011 election manifesto all state houses which could be practically insulated would be.” False

    ‘In answer to written questions this week, Housing Minister Nick Smith said of the 30 percent of the 68,000 houses under Housing New Zealand’s management had not been insulated.”

    22 More GCSB – at least Key’s pal is in charge now…

    “The spymaster who initially cleared the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) of illegally snooping on Kim Dotcom was also directly involved in seeking the suppression order signed by Bill English as Acting Prime Minister.”

    The Herald has learned former chief legal adviser Hugh Wolfensohn was involved in arranging the once-in-a-decade certificate which sought to bury the scandal.

    The Prime Minister confirmed yesterday for the first time it was Mr Wolfensohn’s advice that quelled GCSB and police fears they had illegally spied on Mr Dotcom and his co-accused Bram van der Kolk.

    He told Parliament: “The best of the legal advice presented by Hugh Wolfensohn was that it was legal. As we now know, GCSB and Mr Wolfensohn were wrong.*

    Mr Wolfensohn no longer works at the bureau after being placed on “gardening leave”. A spokesman for the GCSB said of Mr Wolfensohn’s advice: “With hindsight, we know it wasn’t right.”

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10872586

    23 John Key: ‘I’ve never lied about Kim Dotcom’, 21/11/2012 False – from 5 Oct 2012 and One video exposes Key, GCSB’s & Banks’ Dotcom lies

    24 “Gerry Brownlee breaches airport security rules”. Every other National MP that has broken much less serious rules (and got caught) has been removed from their position. Hypocrisy
    Using the exit door jokes, optional.

    25 Genesis energy asset sales will be predominantly ‘mum and dad’ buyers. False.

    “A controversial American couple are the biggest investors in recently floated Genesis Energy – sparking angry claims the Government has been caught out “screwing the scrum” against mum and dad Kiwi buyers.”

    26 “The good news was I was having dinner with Ngāti Porou, as opposed to their neighbouring Iwi ,which was Tuhoi, in which case I would have been dinner” (audio)

    Another 143 here.

    @ArchieDaRival doing an admirable job with “John Key’s 69 top lies”

    With some duplicates from the 143 and the above, a number of around 150 seems fair.

    Honourable mentions

    1.John Key being a dick about GCSB (to tax payers and) Russel Norman in question time.

    2.Eight NZ politicians who were forced to resign

    3.Key rejects criticism over Mubarak comments – Supporting a tyrant and a dictator with no representation for the Egyptian people was fine because Mubarak supported Israel

    4.Open letter to Eugene Bingham or would you have voted for John Key if you had known

    i. The true relationship John Key had with Andrew Krieger and the attack on the NZ dollar in late 1987.

    ii. The role John Key had in the Asian Crisis, the Russian collapse and the collapse of the LTCM hedgefund.

    iii. The role John Key had in the Subprime trade and the real timeline of the Subprime crisis and the subsequent collapse of the global economy.

    C:\Users\Ken\JK lies The big list of John Key’s lies newzealand.mht

    • These examples could be taken apart one by one, but you’d still believe what you want to believe. We have a PM who is the envy of our closest neighbours, and an economy that is the envy of the developed world, and yet the left is still looking for ways to discredit the Govt. 7 years and counting.

      • National Supporter Known As Nehemia/Intrinsicvalue – “These examples could be taken apart one by one, but you’d still believe what you want to believe. We have a PM who is the envy of our closest neighbours, and an economy that is the envy of the developed world, and yet the left is still looking for ways to discredit the Govt. 7 years and counting.”

        So… that’s an excuse to be a creep who harasses women?

        Keep going, we’re building up a really good picture of your so-called charachter. No wonder you use a pseudonym.

        • I agree Frank, Nehemia Wall is up against the wall and can not see the truth for the trees. JOHN KEY LIED AGAIN AND SAID THAT HE THOUGHT THE WAITRESS DID NOT MIND HIM BEING ABUSIVE WHEN CLEARLY SHE STATES OVER AND OVER THAT SHE DID NOT LIKE IT. HE KNEW SHE DID NOT LIKE IT YET HE CYNICALLY CONTINUED ON MANIPULATING AND PLAYING HIS SEXIST GAMES. Perpetual liar over and over.

          Fools will defend such bullying behavior because they are also very likely fools and bullies. Blame shifting is the name of their game and so they blame shift and then blame shift some more. Come to Jonkeys defense and show your colours.

      • an economy that is the envy of the developed world

        Just can’t quite balance the books – and been borrowing around $100-$200m per week for years now.
        Repeat “rock star economy”, repeat “rock star economy”, repeat “rock star economy”.

        “How would you describe the NZ economy?”
        “Bloody rock star mate!”

        • How would I describe the NZ economy? The envy of the developed world. We have comparatively low levels of debt, low inflation, low interest rates, economic growth, the highest labour force participation rate on record, how mush more do you need? This Govt. inherited an economy on it’s knees, going in to recession with high interest rates and inflation, a large internal deficit and no short term prospects of returning to surplus. That’s why the world looks on to see how we’ve done it. We should be proud of our Govt and our own efforts, no ranting on about our PM pulling someones pony tail.

          • Wall, so our booming economy gives Key the right to asasault and harass women?

            Gee, if only we’d known, we’d ALL want to be politicians. Not.

          • Wall, so our booming economy gives Key the right to assault and harass women?

            Gee, if only we’d known, we’d ALL want to be politicians. Not.

  23. GOOD on you for speaking up . What a creep this guy is .
    I have to say , having a few years on you, that after the first time I would have looked on his actions as a perfect excuse to punch him in the snout .

    If this story hits the commercially -owned media – then can I suggest you IGNORE the comments sections – don’t listen to talkback and avoid dickheads like Paul Henry and Mike Hoskings – you will hear a whole lot of un-informed shit and drivel.
    Stay strong and seek out the support of family and friends , ignore the bullshit coming from the mouths and keyboards of idiots – nobody should get away with assaulting others – especially Prime Ministers .

  24. Not good but pales into insignificance with the blatant depravity of Helen Clark fraudulently signing a painting for a charity auction. That was really disgusting!

    • So E-Clectic, you really put a misunderstanding about a painting (BTW everyone who knows art knows that the painter signs on the front, not the back) above the long-term sexual harassment of a waitress? Sad. People’s feelings matter a lot more than paintings.

  25. You shouldn’t pull girls hair. You learn that in Primary school. In a grown person it’s offensive.

  26. If this story is true (I’m not saying it isn’t, only that witnesses to corroborate are necessary for a story so detrimental to our PM) then the PM is either clueless about people and power, or he’s a liar. Neither of which are qualities we want in the leader of our country.

    If it’s true that he “didn’t realise” after her repeated complaints, his wife repeatedly telling him to stop then he has no concept of the power differential between the PM of NZ and a young female waitress. Which is enormously troubling for the PM of NZ.

    If he did realise that he was doing something wrong, then he’s prepared to know and continue abuse of his power and he’s prepared to then lie about it.

    Both scenarios are the only possibilities I see, if the story is as this young woman describes. Neither are reasonable scenarios for the PM of NZ.

    Hopefully this story will be picked up by MSM, hopefully journalists in NZ will do some research, seek out witnesses and publish what they find. Maybe the wonderful Frank Macskasy is onto the job already….

    But then if it is published with corroboration, if it is confirmed as true and correct, I can see and hear now middle Nu Zilind saying crap like “it’s just a bit of fun, lighten up!” and “it’s just her hair! He never actually touched her” and “that’s the problem with wimmen these days, overly sensitive”. Bollocks.

    • And to his response that he was just “horsing around”?

      What is he, 5 years old and in the playground???

      No need for corroboration. Key admits it.

  27. Caught red handed with many witnesses has made the usual escape route via prolific lying seem a bad move.

    11am National program news reports that Key has apologised to the “girl” waitress for pulling her hair.

    NOT the repeated pulling of her hair and harassment over a period of time.

    This matter must not be left for MSM and Key to minimalise.

  28. touching of womens hair is not bullying its a sign very often of sexual interest.Mrs Key must be very worried, This PM should be removed NOW before other similar stories come to light and he ends up with name suppression.Hes weird.

  29. Look at the number of down votes to comments! The nats are clearly hovering but so far nobody has denied the truth of the story or responded on behalf of the PM. The waitress should come forward now. After all as others have pointed out, Key knows who it is, (how many waitresses has he given 2 bottles of wine to after pulling their hair?) his security team know who she is, Bronagh knows who she is and her work colleagues will know. For her safety, it is better that she is known than unknown.

  30. Are you serious? Are you really serious? Tugging on a ponytail? If you were that bothered by it, tell him to f off. Why didn’t you?

      • Maybe because she was shocked and upset -didn’t you read where she cried in frustration , idiot?

        Don’t you understand a woman’s reactions may be different to a mans?

        Mate …when I did jujitsu and combative s…we covered that sort of thing very well…but then…I ‘d far rather have the law deal with an assault charge than let myself be roped in with a creep…

        Why should anyone be subject to this?…would you do that to a child ?…no?…so why should you think you can do that to women?

        Your a real fool mate…often it takes people years to go public depending on their personality…who are you to try and protect Key by criticizing this person …for taking only months to make a decision?

        We are definitely talking assault here. The law covers it well….and yes…..even hair pulling.

        That’s how serious this is.

        • Shocked and upset for 12 months? Come on, this is pathetic, and so is the complainant. The behaviour is a bit silly, but this is a politically motivated hit job, and just like KDC’s claims of evidence Key knew about him it will fail.

          • “Politically motivated”?

            Nehemia/Intrinsicvalue, Key has admitted his behaviour and apologised. Why would he have ‘fessed up and apologised if it was a “hit job”? Really, are you so foolish?

          • My God! What a blinded uninformed person you are, you obviously have your head so far up your own backside that the lump in your throat is your God damned nose! His behavior is unacceptable, it is disgusting and he leads a group of people that continue to lie and cheat cover up all kinds of terrible crimes made against common people and you sit there praising him? wake up try at least to spend some of your life as a real person not a complete idiot! I know for a fact that he is happy to cover up fake medical notes to hide serious surgical errors, they are not people who should lead a choir let alone a country. The french had the right idea and it sounds like you would be one of the ones facing the loss of your head, that is maybe what is needed in this country before it is too late. They are subject to the same laws as everybody else, they are also supposed to be there for the people not themselves he should get on his knees and beg forgiveness as should you by the sound of it because your days are numbered my friend.

      • Obviously you have never been a young woman, working in the hospitality industry, on a weak contract and not likely to get another job in a hurry.

        There was also the enormous power imbalance and the fact that Key’s silly wife and sycophantic minders were there and they didn’t interfere

        Although Bronagh did say “Leave the girl alone” but that didn’t stop him, did it?

        Furthermore her bosses were friends of Key .We all know how important it is to stay friends with THE GREAT ONE

      • Yep, the power imbalance is in her favour. She has nothing to lose if this blows up in her face, whereas she knows Key has his reputation to lose if the public buy into this gross overreaction.

        • “Yep, the power imbalance is in her favour. ”

          Truly, you are repulsive, Nehemia/Intrinsicvalue. Little wonder that you are so cowardly as to hide behind anonymity. You are so partisan and subservient to Key that your moral compass has fled you.

          I guess people like you turn a blind eye to the “foibles” (as you referred to it) of your Dear Leader. That is how leadership cults evolve.

        • John Key has already lost his reputation both in this country and worldwide with thinking and aware people. When people are as asleep to continue to defend a dismissive lying bully as we now have as a PM, then they remain in denial and easily manipulated. People laugh at him and at us. Wake up. You seem as much in denial as he is.

          And stop continued harassment of this waitress. She came forth exactly ! ! when she was ready. This is about the truth and not about your drama story of a political game. Get real. Bullies and Blame Shifters are a disgusting lot.

          John Key lied about stating that he did not know that she did not want her hair pulled.
          He lied yet again. How many light bulbs does it take to shine the light on hypocrisy.

        • Wow, you really are an idiot aren’t you, Nehemia ! Of course she has a lot to lose. She has her job, which I am sure she gets minimum wage for and possibly Zero hours. She could be depending on that job for her survival. What a numb nuts you must be to think that it would bother John Key if he lost the top job. He would not starve now would he! Plus he would more than likely head off overseas to wreak havoc somewhere else. Maybe back to Merryl Linch to assasinate more employees. There is absolutely no excuse what so ever for what he did. No one has the right to assume they can touch someone they are not familiar with. She was a stranger to him and therefore deserved to be treated with dignity and respect and without sexual inuendo. What was she supposed to do? It wasn’t a one off hair pulling, it had gone on for sometime. If she had of hit him his security would have stepped in and taken her to the ground. She would have been the one in trouble for sure as they would have covered his ass by saying she struck him. No one would have stood up for her. So she probably spent months worrying and wondering what to do. She could have left the job I suppose and no doubt would have spent months trying to find another one, as we all know it’s not that easy to find work these days. So before you open your stupid ignorant gob in future, just stop and think!

    • Your ideological sycophancy is breathtaking. Just imagine if she had told him to fuck off, and the papers had run that story – You’d be screeching and berating her as a foul mouthed leftie with no respect for the PM or her employer’s place of business.

      As it is, she was tactful, diplomatic, respectful, and extremely patient. She showed respect to her employer by not affronting his/her clientele, and she showed diplomacy by giving a warning of potential confrontational behaviour so that he had a chance to amend his behaviour in response.

      Yet you twist the argument to suit your context, because as it always is with your comments, it’s nothing to do with logic, or extenuating circumstances, and everything to do with blindly criticising anyone who isn’t on your side.

      I have seen some poor commentary from you previously, but this time, you’ve surpassed poor, and just been plain dumb.

      Poor show.

  31. He’s admitted it apparently according to RNZ news this morning. Its ugly!

    What a weirdo, it seems more than the typical arrogant rich mans cocked up humour playing with the peasants for jolly, thinking he’s funny because of his minions sycophantic laughter. It is worse than that even.

    When we’re not spying on our biggest trading partner for the US our PM is pulling the hair of lowly paid waitresses. Something is very wrong with this country!

  32. I generally don’t agree with many of the views on the blog, and am a national party voter. But this is REALLY strange. Poor girl. What kind of person with an ounce of common sense would do this over and over? JK just lost a few points in my book and I hope the girl wasn’t traumatised. Great story and nice hit.

  33. I see now TDB has given NZH a headline on its plate to carry the day 🙂

    Congratulations and well done TDB for taking up this issue.

  34. Such a total waste this didn’t come out DURING election. Well The John Key has issued has issued apology (and two bottles of wine, which should be enough to buy off any NZ woman [sarc]), so I guess he thinks he’s nipped it in the bud.
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11436677
    No doubt Mike Hosking will be apologising for him tonight on Seven Shit: “he was just having a bit of innocent fun. There is nothing to see here, you need to get over yourselves. John is the greatest PM this country has ever had so just move along”.

    • “Such a total waste this didn’t come out DURING election. ”

      And why it took twelve months for the story to come out. This is a beat up, another lame attempt to discredit Key. Like all the others, it will fail.

      • it’s really not that hard to discredit Ky. He seems to be managing that on his own (even without your help, Ms Wall.

    • Maybe not. If it had come out during the election, she would have been accused of electioneering and been dismissed. The good news is, that this is a slow news day, so plenty of space to run it. It will probably get more mileage and, who knows, do more long-term damage. She’s got nothing to gain right now, so it makes her more credible (sorry no disrespect to the woman, she should be credible regardless of when it comes out, but you know how the media can turn on you if it wants to).

      • I’ve just been listening to evening talk back on my way back from a business dinner. The subjects on the two stations? Meditation, housing, landlords/tenants. Not a single call about this. The only people who will keep this going are the left wing media (John Campbell etc) who have an agenda.

        • That’s what you get when you run with only those who spin the lines people like you only want to hear.

          Its called a biased playing down of the facts from a biased media…or minimizing the incident…or ..if you want …damage control.

          Wont wash , sorry .

        • I will not apologise for having an agenda of trying for us to not have a lying Prime Minister who not only doesn’t know boundaries but has no notion of the abuse of power.

        • Nehemia Wall – thanks for your input as it shows us just what it is like to defend a lying hypocrite and then blame it on someone or something else? Thanks Nehemia for allowing us to glimpse into the mind of one who defends the abuser and attacks the victims. Thanks Nehemia for showing us what it is like to be a true bully and blame shifter. Great job, keep it up.

        • I don’t know what Radio Station you’re listening to Nehemia, but the phone lines to RadioLive were off the hook with people condemning John Key’s behaviour with very few exceptions. I’m actually proud to be a Kiwi for once.

          Restored my faith in my fellow countrymen for once.

        • Nehimia,
          Thank you for letting us know you are obviously a business man and therefore are more that likely employing or managing female staff.
          I feel really, really sorry for them if you think the behaviour of John Key is just a bit of fun. You can look forward to the day when one of the women in your office that you have been either bullying or sexually harrassing lays a complaint against you. Maybe then you will realize that it is serious. All the time you thought they were enjoying the attention when really they are pissed off at you and are telling anyone who will listen what a jerk you are.

  35. Power play. To the point where he doesn’t even realise what he has been doing.

    This is a sad indictment of the ‘Right Honourable’ John Key, and also society and social constructions that defend this sort of behaviour as ‘a joke’.

    And what about Bronagh Key – ‘Leave the *poor* girl alone’. A very unfortunate turn of phrase and Freudian slip. What an uppity snob!

  36. Bill Clinton 2.0? Please post the photo of Bill Clinton and Key arm and arm smiling in May 2014. Around the same time Clinton was named in the Epstein pedo ring lawsuit.
    And p;ost the other video of Key pulling 12 year old girls hair.
    Time to bring down the Crown ‘Ring’ of power.

  37. So…..does he carry bottles of his wine around in his car for such an occasion?
    Doesn’t he have any candy left?

    • Spin Doctor: Look John this tugging thing could get icky.
      JK: Really, I was just being friendly and pesky in my general, relaxed, have-a-beer-with-me kind of way.
      SD: Hmmm, yes I know JK that’s your winning way but perhaps you might have just overstepped a bit.
      JK: C’mon mate I’m teflon.
      SD: Well, let’s keep it that way, best you cease and make amends somehow.
      JK: Amends?
      SD: Three bottles of your prime ministerial plonk with an autograph should do it.
      JK: Three! No way.
      SD: One is token, needs to be at least two.
      JK: If you insist. That’s about third of a bottle per tug, OK fair cop.

      • Later:

        SD: Look it’ll all blow over pretty soon. Gallipoli is your big chance to recover – serve up a sincerity ace and volley through with as much gravitas as you can muster.
        JK: She doesn’t even drink red wine – what a waste!
        SD: Let it go, bigger fish to fry now, focus.
        JK: At least it wasn’t three bottles – got that right.

  38. It’s funny how political careers can hit the wall. After all the policy outrages of the current administration, could it be that what finally hits home with the complacent majority is an attack of the Joe Bidens?

  39. The Herald has taken up the story from TDB , wonders will never cease ,but its played down JK says he apologised,but herald would like comments from people .

  40. Just remember folks..the wine he gave her is from a vineyard he partly owns in a blind trust that he should legally not know what is in the trust yet he knows the wine

  41. It definitely was and is not an appropriate act of behaviour comeing from someone such as the prime minister….or anybody for that matter.
    Mr Keys you of all people should be ashamed of one’s self and should show more respect….how disgusting.
    To make matters worse as well haveing the CHEEK one repeats the behaviour on several occasions, including presenting the young lady with two bottles of wine….NO this does not justify one’s actions.

  42. The news item has now been amended to include reference to multiple hair pullings and an admission that the “grubby apology” released today, long after the event, was a response to a blog uncovering the event.

    TDB is not only read but reacted to by National PR / MSM machine.

    The attempted minimisation should not be allowed to go unchallenged.

    The girls was harassed in her workplace and hunted down repeatedly over a period of time on multiple occasions in spite of .key being warned off by management, the girl herself, evidently Key’s wife and possibly others.

    His “banter” looks to be one sided, offensive and “bullying” hardly describes his behaviour. The girl was trapped.

    Many men are attracted to younger girls unfortunately but for behaviour to overtly reflect the lack of self control and impropriety usually goes along with many other undesirable traits, with lack of judgement being a fundamental flaw.

    If you don’t respect others but have a narcissistic regard for those who are not able to control your behaviour, then it is free reign until consequences bring a stop to such abuse.

    In a normal person respect for others would control any such urges to assault without invitation or provocation.

    A this point his reported attempt to shrug it off just reinforces the picture of this matter being disregarded as important.

    The girl is now of no significance obviously to this man after assaulting her and making her life miserable. The abuse of power remains in this situation and is likely to continue with ongoing consequences for the girl.

    The coward has not made any useful mitigation with compensation for his victim. He does not care obviously.

    The PR spin is hollow.

    • How will the poor girl manage to maintain her job? what with having to be afraid John Key and his ontourage could come in again at any time. Plus all the Lookyloos who will want to check out the scene of the crime. Maybe even harrass her. I think she should be compensated for the stress she has been through and also she should be helped to find a new postition elsewhere.

  43. I feel for this woman, I really do. Having other people “playing” with your hair without permission is an incredibly uncomfortable experience, and can be very intimidating.

    I have very long hair, and I regularly have people touching or stroking my hair unexpectedly – it happens about once a week, and it’s generally strangers who come up behind me on the street. When I tell them not to touch me, they just laugh it off and say something like “I just wanted to see what it felt like”. It’s hair. It feels like hair. Stop touching me. Even worse is when they say “But it’s pretty”. I don’t care if you think it’s pretty. Don’t touch my hair or any other part of me without my permission.

    To anyone who thinks it’s just hair, they’re just being playful/friendly, you should take it as a compliment, it’s no big deal, etc. – just stop. It’s not “just hair”. It’s a part of my body, and someone I don’t know has decided to touch or “play with” part of my body without my permission. It’s not friendly – it’s completely unwanted. It’s not a compliment – it shows that someone thinks their desire to touch part of me outweighs my right not to be touched in an unwanted manner that makes me uncomfortable. And while it may not be a big deal to YOU, it is a big deal for ME – strangers are coming up behind me on the street and touching part of me, which is not just uncomfortable, it is intimidating as well.

    If you’ve never been put in a position of being made uncomfortable by someone touching you in an undesired way and without your permission, then lucky you. But don’t you dare try to tell me how I should feel about someone touching part of MY body.

    • Looks like he’s been pulling too long on his own hair …so much so there aint a lot left to pull….

      So maybe he went out looking for more hair to pull….

      Maybe he ‘s frustrated at pulling hair because of all the lies he’s told…and been caught out so many times to date.

      Maybe that’s why he’s developed a hair pulling fetish.

      Perhaps he should be quietly retired to some clinic to work through his difficulties….

  44. I know just how this feels, I had a teacher who did the same thing to me in school. I never encouraged him to do it, and he could tell I wasn’t happy, but I guess he thought it was funny so he kept doing it. I eventually made a formal complaint to the school and he came up to me after getting in trouble over it and said that I should have just asked him to stop.

    Maybe he should have thought about not being such an entitled prat that he felt like he had the right to pull on my hair without permission in the first place.

  45. This is going around the world! Thank god at last FJK is actually being held to account and embarrassed over something. Good on you ‘girl with a ponytail’, you are very brave and right to tell us and be angry about this creepy scenario. If he walks the plank over this your ponytail will be rejoiced in a good way, never pulled but praised, it may have saved us all more of FJK’s mission creep.

    • And hair hair to that one as well !!

      ‘ PM ‘ outed from office because of hair pulling fetish ! ‘…..that’d be one for the books…..

      – And about as fitting for this impostor clown ‘ PM ‘….

  46. After reading this blog, all I can see is the image of JK posing at the radio station wearing that stupid T-shirt.
    He doesn’t care about domestic violence, rape, sexual harassment, or harassment in general. He just doesnt care.

  47. In my April 22, 2015, 8:37 am post above, I wrote,

    “Either the blogpost above is a lie – or John Key’s career has just come crashing down.”

    My reservations were not meant to question the very real claims of the woman concerned, and should not be taken that way. My apologies to anyone who took that inference from my morning comments.

    • CB, Klingons are an honorable race for the most part. Likening them to someone of Wall’s ilk does them a dis-service.

  48. I think this is absolutely pathetic. It’s time people in this country grew up and put things into perspective. I am not a fan of John Key but I think that this waitress is absolutely pathetic as are those who have lept on to the bandwagon as usual and pump out the PC nonsense. People are being murdered daily, old people beaten up, people mugged, when the criminal comes to be punished most of the people posting here will buy into the pathetic story of how the offender had a terrible childhood etc. This was just an act of tomfollery and doesn’t deserve the news space it is getting. Just a sign of what an immature bunch of people New Zealanders really are. Pathetic.

    • “when the criminal comes to be punished most of the people posting here will buy into the pathetic story of how the offender had a terrible childhood etc”

      I don’t think FJK had a terrible childhood. Even though his father died, his mother was supported by the state to raise him. I don’t think we’ll buy into that story at all.

      • How’d you like your grandmothers hair being pulled?…or your mother, or your sister , or your daughter?…..starting to get the message what this so-called PM actually has done?

        (Thanks Frank for the perspective )

        That’s right…its called non consensual touching…otherwise known legally as common assault.

        And the facts are it upset this person that much over that period of time she was in tears of frustration.

        Why?

        Right again – because the tormentor was none other than the so – called PM of this country.

        That’s why.

    • The only immature person in this story is JK. It was (sexual?) harassment over a long period, it IS a big deal, and I hope he’s forced to resign over it. Someone doing this to a person who worked for them would be taken to court, the Prime Minister obviously has a similar amount – or even more – power over service people (and apparently her boss as well or he/she would have put a stop to it) so how does it only qualify as “tomfoolery”? Please think about a powerful man doing this to your child (or niece, friend’s child, whatever is appropriate) and reconsider your position.

    • So Freda, can I play with your hair? What about rubbing your shoulders? Can we progress to more intimate body parts thereafter? Just a “bit of tomfollery” [sic] you understand…..

      • Yes, when you consider a woman had her throat slit in Sacramento yesterday – it certainly puts this into perspective. And all you’re doing it building up John Key because he is going to get a sympathy vote out of this because everyone knows that people fool around – I’ve tweaked people’s hair. Nothing sexual in it. And if someone pulled mine I would laugh as most normal women would …

        [Please note that Username “Freda Adams” has an IP number registered to an Auckland-based telco. As such, the Facebook page link “she” has provided, and which claims to be that of a US-based person, may or may not be hers. Please do not send critical messages to the Facebook page owner. Thank you. – ScarletMod]

        • Perhaps you need to keep your hands to yourself? Just because you allow strangers to pull your hair does not mean others share your willingness to share yourself. Perhaps youi should think about how the waitress felt?

          Do you think her feelings are irrelevant?

          And trying to justify Key’s behaviour by conflating it with a murdered woman in Sacremento is not proving your point one iota. It just shows you are willing to exploit the most vile situation to justify the unjustifiable. Really, you should be ashamed of yourself for what you are suggesting.

    • My god Freda, why do you think that this country is falling into such a mess? It is the attitude and behavior of those running it which creates such issues, if it is ok for politicians to break the law and treat people like dirt then it is deemed opk for others to follow suit, the only difference is they never see justice you dont have to look far back to realise that with corrupt and criminal Police raping at will stealing drug dealing etc, politicians helping themselves to tax payer money and when they get caught they plead ignorance, you do the same and try that trick and see what happens, you will go to jail! the point is these idiots believe themselves to be above the law and that hardly is a wise move when you are trying to set and example right? Open your eyes and try and think for yourself instead of excepting what you are told, it is simple there is wrong and there is right and this is clearly wrong! Even a monkey can understand that!

  49. Understood frank,

    Why do I now have to go though this mind boggling Anti spam test for the first time today?

    By the time I figure out the maths it expires as time out? bloody annoying why is it happening?

    • Agree re the anti spam captcha, sent a comment by email, but it has not appeared yet. Otherwise this post would probably have hundreds of comments by now, were it not for the stupid captcha function expiring all the time before a comment can be posted!

  50. Good one for coming forward! You have been very brave and your blog is a model of speaking truth to power. We need to hold these people to account. I have to wonder how distorted JK’s world view is to see this as simply: a bit of banter. I guess that’s what you get for working hard among an isolated political and business elite – eh? What example does this set for men generally? Maybe he thinks ordinary schmucks are expected to atone for harassment by offering supermarket or even cask wine. Really really bad.

  51. Are you trying to piss in eveybodys pocket Frank.

    “Either the blogpost above is a lie – or John Key’s career has just come crashing down.”

    Your above quote says it all, simply, perfectly.

    Lets watch.

  52. John Key is treating the whole thing as just a big laugh and joke. He really has no idea of how arrogant and pretentious he appears. Methinks he should invent a new terrorist threat, like Tony Abbot does to throw the MSM hounds off the trail whenever he has a panic attack.

  53. She should of smashed one of Those Bottles of God Awful Blood wine over hisSidistic face and then said “I don’t drink Red Wine, You freaky, screwed up Little Creep”!!!……. What a Loser….Deep down he was most likely getting off on it!! Its pretty Bizzare! Probably a Woman that looked like Her Rejected Him “Even when He was a Rich Wanker….I mean banker! I can’t imagine Obama doing that or even Putin. Mayby Saddam Hussein or Hitler would of done The Same!!! Put that in The BBC

  54. My Comment already sent by email also:

    “What more could I do? How humiliating would it be to have to stand before the Prime Minister, his wife and security personnel and a handful of customers and say John, Mr Prime Minister, Sir, could you please stop tugging on my hair, I don’t like it, please stop, please… I felt I shouldn’t HAVE to do that.”

    This is what is wrong with the people in New Zealand these days. “I shouldn’t HAVE to do that”, this is bizarre. If someone pulls my hair, or would touch my head, and I do not like it, I would certainly tell the person, hey, get off, don’t touch me.

    While I understand that a waitress may feel the “power” a Prime Minister has, this is stuff an employee has to tell her or his employer straight away, as it is inappropriate behaviour. Then the employer has to act, to protect her/his staff.

    The whole episode appears somewhat bizarre and a bit “perverted”, not necessarily with “sexual” connotations, but it is simply completely unacceptable, silly behaviour, I am being extra “diplomatic”.

    The tongs at the barbeque at John and Bronagh’s beach-side home in Omaha come to mind again. Remember Campbell Live, and how he and his team visited Key and his wife before the elections? He was waving a tong around in front of his wife’s face, making a bizarre comment. The gesture displayed a man who likes to be dominant, authoritarian, and tell people, where to go, and what to do. No wonder some call him the smiling assassin. He has two faces, our PM.

    We all know by now that John Key is a man who is in part still a “big child”, his antics inside and outside of Parliament have shown this. Also has he at times been indulging in whatever alcoholic beverages, which would lower his inhibitions.

    When I heard it first on the radio this afternoon, I thought it may have only happened a few times, but if the above is true, and that he did this over months, again and again, while creeping up from BEHIND, then this is an unacceptable kind of behaviour unbecoming of our Prime Minister. This is harassment, the employer should have stopped it, but appears to not have wanted to, so as to not lose her “appreciated” high profile customer.

    I challenge the waitress, that she must come forward, and tell the story up front, and to other media, so the public know it, as sadly too many ridicule blogs.

    As a person from a rather down to earth and more physical contact tolerating culture, I first thought the persons offended by this were a bit over the top and PC, but having read it all here now, I think that John Key should have been challenged before, and the waitress should have laid a complaint for harassment.

    The employer failed in her responsibilities and should also be held to account.

    We have today a whimpish populace in New Zealand, too scared to stand up for themselves, and too distracted with often trivial stuff, thus failing to focus on what matters. People do not take a long term view, and put up with so much crap, it has to stop.

    The damned media make a big fuss about this now, but can generally not bother reporting on serious challenges the country faces. While this story deserves attention, and consequences, it is time the hopeless journalists we have go out and smell a bit of the real world, and bring stories about the persons struggling on high rents, paying off high mortgage debt, paying off huge student loans, about those on benefits, getting no real “Payrise” ever, and struggling worse than ever.

    FFS, wake up New Zealanders, stop thinking just about number one, and get real, and look at how your neighbours, your work mates, your employees, the students and poor are doing, rather than sit and speculate on your property values and drive to the mall live out shopaholic lives.

    John Key must go, the power is getting to his head, and he is totally out of touch with everyday life of most Kiwis! His recent comments on the Auckland housing market just prove it.

    SACK JOHN KEY, NEW ZEALAND!!!

  55. Get on with your lives and find something else to do.

    [Trolling is bad enough. Anonymous right-wing trolling with fake emails addies is worse still. Not welcome. – ScarletMod]

  56. Well that was a bit boorish of him, and in an ideal world you would never have to tell anyone to stop doing that.
    Just while we’re waiting for that ideal world, though, can I say that body language is not always as clear as we think it is. The writer says: “again I didn’t respond verbally, but everything about my body language screamed I DON’T LIKE THAT”. One person’s body language is often another person’s foreign language.
    Just because he’s the Prime Minister does not mean the writer would have been out of line to say “Don’t do that” or even to slap him. (Punching him would have been going too far.)
    Sometimes men get it wrong when clowning around. On those occasions we would much rather be told off or even slapped than to have the person hold a grudge, which could later come out in a very damaging way like this.

    • James – I thought our esteemed PM was very good at reading people?

      You don’t get to be the leader of a major political party, multi-millionaire, and Prime Minister, without some manner of understanding how people work. Sorry, but your suggestion doesn’t cut it.

    • But he should not have done it in the first place.

      She should not have needed to display the appropriate body language.

      Keep you hands off other people, unless you have been given an explicit ( not implicit because everyone is horsing around) invitation

      That’s a fairly easily understood rule, even for a currency trader

  57. You Should if you have not already drunk the wine or given it away, auction it on trade me. Might as well get some money out of them. Or give it to charity that’s always nice.
    Secondly i feel so sorry for you, and love what you have done because John Key surely does need a wake up hes not even a person he is a scum.

  58. Remember, this is the same man who said Mike Sabin’s resignation was for “family matters”, the man is morally bankrupt. John Key is an intelligent man, I don’t believe he misread the situation. It disgusts me when people like Nehemia Wall and Freda Adams make excuses or downplay his behaviour, just because they like him. Oh and Freda Adams, if you don’t mind a creepy old man putting his hands on you without your permission, that’s your choice, but you don’t get to speak for the rest of us. I most certainly would mind, as would the majority of us, reflected by the posts in this blog. Oh, and the LAW AGAINST IT!!!

  59. when I was a student, I waitressed in Wellington. men quite frequently tried it on, especially rich drunk suits. we had to take care, our ponytails were tugged, butts slapped, laughing mates about breast. mostly we were all fine, it was more dangerous Finishing late and getting to the car. but to have boorish sexualised bullying behaviour with such a power differential, go on for such a long time…thats a whole different league of wrong. prostitution is legal, but a waitress is not selling her body. i was paid to be courteous, prompt and to remember peoples order. something like this probably would have seen me extract a sample of the guys hair, as I grew up with boys boundaries need to be respected. good on you for something rare / honesty, bravery, and truth. stay strong. ignore the male bullshit, they wont rule the world for much longer. not the smarts, patently.

  60. this is not some-thing a normal person would do witch points to an under lying mental problem,possible minor but!!If this had happened in a another situation it could be very damaging for NZ as a country(fox)and the left media would have a field day,possible with reason.Maybe a little help might be needed.

  61. The worry is that the other parties,who should be making hay from this shame,are just look not nice,unusual they claim queer for a Prime Minister to do and act,what cover are they hiding.

    What right gives my wealth to charge my abuse of your being,what position gives me the right to ignore your prostetations about your grib of my power and control.

  62. Bastard,who are we,just knowing abused not wealth and power just abused by arrogant wealth abuse,just human.

  63. Teflon John.WONDER why they let him get away with this sort of abuse.Knowing the arrogance of of the ignorance of his power base it is normal,but heh,we know and understand the the debt the kiwi worker likes to survive,and does not dare question.
    No kneed to publish this,just knowing aside from the anti.

  64. Yeah….what sort of ‘man ‘ is this…first he cant even drive in a nail to a billboard …………

    Then we get this puerile hair pulling behavior….

    And this clown even gets to wear a tee shirt saying ‘he’s not sorry for being a man ‘ ?

    This guy is an international embarrassment.

    And he’s there over at Gallipoli standing all solemn about that ceremony while busily ( and unilaterally and undemocratically ) committing our troops to a war that even his own confidence and supply partners have reservations about ???!!!

    The guys got to GO !!!!!

  65. There seems to be a real double standard Aaron “do you know who I am” Gilmore displays boorish bullying behaviour towards a waiter and is forced to stand down. John Key displays boorish bullying behaviour towards a waitress and he laughs it off “I was just playing”

  66. I personally think that if you read to the end of Friday, 13th March, and dont think JK should have stopped HERE and apologised and probably never ever returned to that cafe, then sorry I dont think much of you as a compassionate human!
    If you are still defending this guy (our PM ) after reading her whole ordeal please dont ever have children or animals
    If you cant be bothered “acshully” reading what the waitress herself has to say in its entirety and taking 5 minutes to digest and put yourself in her situation, then you are lazy and dont deserve an opinion here!!

    as for the apology, weak and feeble and very obviously done at the insistence of someone, possibly Bronagh (who must also be feeling pretty humiliated here)

  67. It is shameful that such blatant abuse of this waitress was allowed to persist for so long. There are so many things wrong in this scenario …

    First of all – It is so unfortunate that the Prime Minister seems to have no self respect either for himself or for the high office that he occupies as the leader of New Zealand. Furthermore, he does not seem to have any respect for his wife; otherwise he would not be so persistently picking on a a young waitress in his wife’s presence. I would call it flirting – except it is a lot uglier than flirting, due to its persistence despite the girl doing her best to tell him that she hated what he was doing.

    Secondly – The restaurant manager should have had the integrity to step in as soon as he/she became aware of this abuse – and should have clearly told the Prime Minister or one of his aides, that he must stop touching that girl. If it persisted after that clear warning – they should have, at the very ;least, told him he is no longer welcome at their cafe – and if required called the police on him.

    As for bystanders and general public – it is more difficult to assign any blame to them. Unless they knew clearly what was going on – it would be a mistake for them to try to barge into this kind of situation.

    I know it would be a very bitter pill for the Prime Minister to swallow – but he should consider resigning, as the most honourable thing at this time.
    At the very least, he should make an absolute and unreserved apology – firstly to this woman; and then to the people of New Zealand. In this apology, he should not try to mitigate his actions by saying things like – we have lots of fun in that cafe, and play practical jokes etc. That does not match the painful description of events as described by this waitress.

    • Your third paragraph outlines perfectly the standard procedure that should have been followed : by being the lawful occupier of that establishment , the proprietor has that legal right to deny entry.

      Also…your final statement regarding acting with integrity over this incident….and not embellishing it , not mitigating it , but simply apologizing to both the waitress and to the NZ public would be the expected and decent thing to do.

      But this personage – this Key – would be incapable , indeed…too contemptuous of this country’s citizenry to ever bring himself to do either.

      And this is why this John Key needs to resign…as the media brayed for lesser things , – indeed trivial things with David Cunliffe – yet here we have a man who patently shows no regard for any but those in his inner clique circle.

      I call for John Keys resignation . AND apology to both the offended party ( the waitress ) ….and also the public of this country NZ.

  68. Having followed this link from The New York Times, I must opine that your prime minister emerges from the ordeal with a healthy glow, an innocence harking back to more simple times, the simple life innocence that never fails to impress visitors to your little corner of the Antipodes. As international slime doggie, Mr. Key doesn’t even make the league tables. No bunga bunga parties a la Berlusconi, no assignations with young model mistresses, no bikini clad swim bunnies on his lap… not even a blow job in the Beehive (or the Auckland Council Chambers!). And, of course, we’re talking about her pony tail, for Gods’ sake, not her Map o’ Tassie or other, nether parts.

    Is this woman a victim? Perhaps. The relish she displays in recounting the ordeal signals otherwise: poor little, marginalised Kiwi girl waitress finds meaning and relevance in encounter with prime minister. To my mind, the subtext of her missive is that she is something more than an flat-white-and-friand serving automaton in the local cake shop. It’s a cry for recognition, for validation. Fast forward 40 years, and the very same waitress, by then presumably a nanna/granny, would take similar pride in telling how when she was a pretty girl, she had this long mane. And even the prime minister liked to touch it!

    Enjoy it while it lasts!

    • You ever been sued for harrassment, A Engler Anderson? This man, our Prime Minister, was breaking the very laws he is sworn to uphold. End of story!

    • Couldn’t agree with you more. Has already come out this morning that this Amanda Bailey (this “victim of common assault”… please) holds “strong political points of views” – to say her account has any shred of objectivity is laughable. You can almost taste the disdain she had for Key long before they even crossed paths. Prepare to hear more about this girl’s affiliations as the media focus turns on her now that her name is out there – her true agendas will be revealed in due course…

      Get a grip people (and a life) FFS – it’s embarrassing!

      • So, let me see if I get this straight, “John”…

        If someone happens to hold “strong political views”, then it is ok to harass them? To repeatedly make unwanted touching? Is that what you’re getting at?

        Because that sure seems to be what you’re trying to tell us.

        • Not sure how you ended up with that conclusion – I don’t think Key had any idea of her political views whatsoever, let alone her obvious disdain for him (which existed long before said incidents).

          And he clearly didn’t set out to deliberately harass her – his awkward, misguided attempts at fits and giggles stopped when he became aware she felt it was harassment (and so offered the wine as an apology which was obviously lame), but at least he acknowledged he was out of order once he saw he was actually upsetting her.

          The uproar has been caused by the whole ’emotional distraught’ aspect of her recount – but her long-held disdain and obvious bias makes her recount totally unreliable as it *could* (not saying it is, just that it could) be someone seizing the opportunity to take advantage of the situation to promote their political motivations.

          Childish behaviour trying hard to be Mr Normal happy-go-lucky PM; and then very bad judgment not reading the situation and making a complete dick out of himself? Yes definitely. Common assault, kiddie-fiddler, NZ’s Rolf Harris and all the other ridiculous labels that have come up since ? Seriously?

          • John Thomas –

            You said;

            Not sure how you ended up with that conclusion – I don’t think Key had any idea of her political views whatsoever, let alone her obvious disdain for him (which existed long before said incidents).

            Because you said;

            Has already come out this morning that this Amanda Bailey (this “victim of common assault”… please) holds “strong political points of views” – to say her account has any shred of objectivity is laughable.

            Which is why I said;

            So, let me see if I get this straight, “John”…

            If someone happens to hold “strong political views”, then it is ok to harass them? To repeatedly make unwanted touching? Is that what you’re getting at?

            Because that sure seems to be what you’re trying to tell us.

            Hope that helps?

        • Exactly Frank. Has anyone thought to wonder how she got her strong political views? It was probably, her experience of crap like this, in the un-sugar coated real world. Amanda is not a mindless robot, she is a human being.

    • A Engler Anderson, your empathy to this woman is noted. I trust you’ll support your own daughter better than you’ve supported the waitress?

      Or is any woman “fair game” for any guy who fancies a touch, tickle, or grope??

      People like you are why we still have sexual harassment. You fail to recognise boundaries, that another person’s body is not your automatic right to play with.

      No doubt you’d be hack off if I gave you a light hearted pat on your head for no apparent reason except I enjoyed doing it???

      • Judging by the link to his facebook page, it looks like he probably does think women are objects for amusement. For him, when a woman says no she really means, what position would you like me in.

    • Engler wots it ,how do you know what Key is guilty of ,he’s been caught out by a young waitress who is just as valid as John Key and more decent than you by a long shot. More may come yet in this saga

  69. I admire your forbearance; I’d have lamped him ages ago. I can relate to this: I occasionally encounter women wanting to touch my moustache, which I must politely refuse as it’s both unsanitary and weird. Some don’t even bother asking and will just blindside me with a painful yank on my growths. I often think how fortunate the rest of the world is that murder is illegal.

  70. That John Key has no empathy, this is nothing new. But this is taking it to a whole new level. What a creep.

  71. Audrey Youngs opinion in Wednesdays NZ Herald her words,”The only thing funny about it are the inventive little clips appearing on social media”. As a victim of bullying,the damage it can inflict on some and internal scares left can last a life time. I will never see or find anything about any form of bullying funny. Since when does saying no to someone touching you,pulling your hair and making it very clear she is offended by your actions.And then even after you saying to her manager “she really doesn’t like me pulling her ponytail” and the manager replying well..no! Mean,ill just keep winding this waitress up with taunts! Bullying no matter the form is illegal,it damages it’s victims,and will continually get brushed aside as oh it was joke i was only having fun attitude.But on the plus side,it’s great to see we have a Prime Mister in New Zealand as a roll model for all those bullies and opinion piece writers that can see a funny side to bullying! For those that wish to reply to me by telling me to grow a pair,why not just tell me to go kill my self. Audrey will see something funny about it and John will buy the wine!

  72. How can New Zealanders hope to hold up their heads in the global domain when our Prime Minister behaves in such a reprehensible manner? Does he think he’s funny, “just one of the guys”? Anyone else would have got a shrug first time, a polite word of warning the second, a “stop it or else” the third, and a solicitor’s letter to follow it up. When a person doesn’t want to be touched, DON’T TOUCH HER (or him)!!!! Mr Key’s own laws are clear on this point. Ashamed of being a 21st Century Kiwi…

  73. Yep. This man was brought back into office merely 6 months ago. For a third time. After everything that has happened.

    Do we really deserve this? Possibly.

    Does he? Absolutely.

  74. Sure, he should have listened the first or second time, but I have a friend like this who can’t resist keeping the joke going. It’s sometimes a bit annoying, never abusive, and everyone manages to keep their sense of humour likewise. I think there is a middle ground that people seem to be missing. He’s pulled the girl’s ponytail a few times and now it’s treated as if the man was being abusive? Seriously people?

  75. thats m.a.f that poor girl … and she had askd him to stop in the passed lik its happind before!
    we meet john key once and he told my little sister she looked good for someone who jsd hada baby…
    she was 14.. she was only just baby sitting what a creep. thort my mum was going to slap him lol

  76. I am really glad that the waitress wrote this article because it clarifies for me something about my own situation. I am a bloke that suffers from high levels of anxiety and depression, which can be read the wrong way if I happen to be in a social situation strategizing about what to do about such levels, while staring into the distance, which I have been challenged about in non-professional social situations in ways that have been insensitive towards me, which only increases my anxiety and depression levels. I can see that this happens because people like the waitress are subject to the behaviour that she describes here, which affects how they might perceive people in my situation. It is a pity that people in the world behave the way that the waitress says that John Key did to her here because such behaviour can go as far as implicating people in my situation who really do not deserve it.

  77. Shocking and unbecoming of a person who is Prime Minister of a country…this is just not any other country …This is New Zealand!!! not Sudan!!…. People have gone to jail for lesser crimes…. touching her hair despite her informing you that she did not like it is clearly going against her will……whats next after her hair?. since when can we go into a public eating place or bar and start touching waitresses hair?…. it not only violated her space and dignity but also borders on sexual violation..let alone a violation of her civil rights..what message do we give to the younger generation?…that its ok to touch women?… there is already a rise in sexual offence cases and school bullying……How can he be trusted with the reins of running a country when he cant even control of his very own impulses?….geez ,,,time for you to go mate… New Zealand deserves way better….poor girl…shes probably on her way to losing her job….

  78. One hopes that the waitress does not have her residence raided, and her computer and other personal effects seized.
    John Key BB. (Bully, and Bar.)

  79. One things for sure. If El Kreepo Key touched my daughters hair, body guards or not, I would be making sure the only thing he would be touching after is the joystick of an electric wheel chair.

  80. All of this is bullying, harassment and intimidation by Key: no great surprise there. What I find really worrying is when she asserted herself (which takes a lot of courage) he said her name as a kind of stand off: a duel. Sinister.
    There it is: a real nasty piece of work is our PM.

  81. My 10 year old boy said he would do this pony tugging to annoy a girl he didn’t like, my 12 year old boy would not even think of doing this he said “that’s just mean”.
    Ok from this I have discovered defiantly a Bully in the /Man!

  82. Its a pity that she didn’t speak up and actually tell him she didn’t like him touching her earlier. Then the whole situation could have been avoided. He’s a man, and in my experience, a vast majority of men, do not pick up body language or subtle hints. Actual words tend to work better…..

    • He’s a man, and in my experience, a vast majority of men, do not pick up body language or subtle hints.

      Based on what? Actually, NicNac, I’m a bloke and I like to think I can pick up visual cues such as body language; facial expressions, vocal tones, etc, pretty smartly. But then, I’m not the Prime Minister…

      • Woah, settle petal. I intentionally did not say ‘all men’. I said the majority. This is based experiences in my life, and that I have gathered during my work. This also includes my current partner (and various previous ones) TELLING me that subtle hints don’t work.

        Yes, You may be able to pick up cues.. if you are paying attention and know to look for them… We don’t know how obvious the cues were, but apparently not obvious enough!

        I guess, the advice that comes to mind is… Use your words, that way there is NO doubt as to what is in your mind 🙂

    • That’s rubbish ! He kept on doing it BECAUSE he could see she was annoyed; and the pathetic response that Bronagh did it. Poor girl she was trying to WORK .He was a nasty tease at best and a creepy weirdo at worst

  83. […] Yet the last 24 hours have shown why we need to keep feminism active with the revealed behaviour of our prime minister repeatedly and unwelcomely handling the hair of a young waitress over several months. A belated and modified apology, not accepted but lied about by perpetrator and reported by tame media has resulted in a global story, international opprobrium and national humiliation. https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2015/04/22/exclusive-the-prime-minister-and-the-waitress/ […]

  84. you are a big part of the problem.
    Next time when someone _assaults_ you in a public place SAY SOMETHING. The whole non-verbal thing stuff is bullshit. You let it happen, that says “ok, I’ll play”. Yes. It does.

    Then after you say “no”. Get the prick charged with assault BY THE POLICE. You have witnesses.

    Why do you think these pricks and the biggest one of all, keep getting Away with this shit??

    _I_ can’t have him arrested, I don’t get to complain anywhere that matters because he doesn’t pick on me, and he slides up to people who have rank and reputation but people like you who CAN do something won’t!!!

    • You speak very bravely… from a position of absolute anonymity (except to the GCSB). Why are you anonymous, Mist42nz? Because you don’t want to be verbally abused by others on this blogsite?

      The young woman at the centre of this harassment did not have the luxury of anonymity at her work place, Mist42nz, when faced with a bully and his armed bodyguards hovering in the background (who, by the way, are policemen and did nothing to stop the on-going harassment).

      So really, your admonitions are meaningless when you haven’t the courage to follow through on what you demand from others.

      Gutless.

    • Oh my God man! Wake up, the Police in this country are ineffective and choose what they deal with, lowly people have no rights here the Police would laugh it off and make her feel even worse and start bullying her themselves. There is one rule for us little people and another for the wealthy. I myself have been on the receiving end of police tactics and I have gone from being respectful of them to now not trusting any of them. God doctors can do what they want to make all kinds of errors , we cant touch them, the police do the same and so do our politicians. Bring back the right to sue. I would like to see an election where not one single person voted, because there is barely a soul in the beehive worth voting for. This isnt just about a poor girl having been assaulted it is about the now indemic she will be right mate do what you want and take what you want and screw everybody in your way attitude that has ripped this country apart in the last few decades. If she were my girlfriend or wife I would have made no bones about walking into his office and clipping him across the ear, because I could then say Oh gee JK I was just playing with you, and I would be in jail in the blink of an eye, and for me it would be worth it! I for one am I man of honor and principles oh and I understand that you do not treat people like that and if I understand that with my lowly place in life how is it that our honorable gentleman prime minister does not? I hope this story stays alive because there is a greater moral and lesson to be learned inside this event and it is all about common decency respect and justice for all no matter what part of the social spectrum you come from, it is called democracy but we seem to be sliding towards a fascist state and the rights of the people continue to be ignored and trampled on by the chosen few because they know they are above the law, hell they make the laws and usually to suit themselves for their own benefit and they rely on ill informed and naive I am all right jack people of this country and for me it makes me sick!

  85. Really…..?
    “let him who is without sin cast the first stone”
    Don’t you people have better things to do?

  86. I hope the girl involved reads my post. Good on you! Don’t ever back down…there will be so many (rich, middle-class) people who are going to be really really mean. Just know that all the good people who know to treat others with respect…especially when they are serving you! have your back. You are in our hearts and we are proud of you. You stood up for every girl who gets treated like an object, every worker who is expected to eat shit for free and you ROCK!!!!! Shame the cafe wasn’t out West because when you told him to stop at least half of the patrons would’ve have stood up and told him to eff off.

  87. Ruth – you should read Amanda’s account: she did inform her manager.

    I suspect regardless of how she approached the Prime Minister’s harassment, National Party supporters would find reason to condemn her. I’m waiting for the Miniskirt & Lipstick argument to rear it’s head.

    Perhaps you should try looking at it from Amanda’s p.o.v rather than your political partisanship.

  88. i think he should go and change his name from john key to don key (donkey)because he has made a real ass of himself

  89. If John Key was old, toothless and poor, or brown, he would be on remand right now. We all know it.

  90. When you read the account of the waitress and the prolonged attempts by the PM to impose his power on her he certainly is a creep and its most unlike a genuine kiwi male and he needs to be taken to task and big time. The test is for any male if their own daughter was working in this environment and the same thing happened what would be the response? Key would get a Ponsonby handshake. My thoughts go out to the girl involved. Hats off to her – she deserves to be praised for bringing this to the public attention. The PM parading around with his security and using them as he did is a bully boy extraordinare. Its the power scenario which is driving this idiot and how he can stay where he is shows more about how like lemmings many in NZ are put up with this nonsense. He should be banished and put into the local stocks like anyone else would be if they were caught. He gets away with it in front of his wife who really should have made it clear he was out of line. Thats the problem here – they are in their own power bubble and have lost their sense of propiety

  91. Reminds me of the eighties. I was groped from behind, but I fortunately had five male witnesses and their phone numbers to give to the guys boss, who then took my complaint seriously.

    John Key is deliberately abusing his power, and sadly , he doesn’t understand this. John Key likes hanging out with the powerful and doesn’t connect the dots with how his thinking impacts negatively on others. The housing boom that is gold for property speculators and poison for tenants is an obvious example.

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