Prime Minister John Key has rubbished questions over whether he is becoming a "lone ranger" or one man band for his National Party.The Sunday Star-Times reported that an unnamed National MP had said there was talk within Parliament that the part
Prime Minister John Key has rubbished questions over whether he is becoming a "lone ranger" or one man band for his National Party.
The Sunday Star-Times reported that an unnamed National MP had said there was talk within Parliament that the party had been reduced to the John Key Show.
"There is a bit of a concern that there is John, and thank goodness for that, but not too much below him. I mean, it's hard to know how many people could actually name the deputy prime minster," the MP said.
Mr Key has been highly visible in recent times, getting out and about visiting businesses and various fixtures, including supporting Hekia Parata's bid to win the Mana by-election.
He told TVNZ's Breakfast programme the suggestion he was becoming a lone ranger was "a load of rubbish".
"In the modern world, any prime minister is going to be out and about a lot, and the reality is that when I go out and about usually there are two or three cameras and a lot of journalists with me."
The situation meant he got more of a public profile than deputies such as Bill English or Gerry Brownlee.
"Our guys front a whole lot of different things, it's just the function of the fact though that the leader is the spokesperson for the party, so inevitably it's the person a lot of the public see and identify with."
Mr Key said it would be concerning if a party leader didn't get out and wasn't well known.
