Prime Minister John Key has apologised to a waitress for repeatedly pulling her ponytail in cafe he visits regularly.
The allegations emerged on a blog this morning and were immediately picked up on social media.
John Key Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson
Radio New Zealand reports the Prime Minister’s office was quick to respond.
A spokeswoman said: “It’s a familiar café which he regularly visits with Bronagh and both have a good relationship with those who work there. His actions were intended to be light-hearted. It was never his intention to make her feel uncomfortable and he has apologised to her.”
Some videos have also emerged, one of which shows Mr Key pulling a child's hair while she is being interviewed by broadcaster John Campbell.
A Radio New Zealand parliamentary reporter said the blog post was written by the waitress.
It outlines a series of events dating back to last year’s election.
The waitress wrote that the first time Mr Key pulled her hair, she thought he was just trying to be “playful and jolly”.
“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 someone’s hair is hardly an acceptable form of greeting,” she wrote.
But following that, when he pulled her hair again on another visit to the cafe, she felt “annoyed”.
“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?
“He was like the schoolyard bully tugging on the little girl’s hair trying to get a reaction, experiencing that feeling of power over her.”