The Prime Minister has been criticised for leaving trade negotiations to attend the funerals of the three airmen who were killed when their Royal New Zealand Air Force helicopter crashed on Anzac Day.Mr Key was scheduled to travel with a delegation to Sau
The Prime Minister has been criticised for leaving trade negotiations to attend the funerals of the three airmen who were killed when their Royal New Zealand Air Force helicopter crashed on Anzac Day.
Mr Key was scheduled to travel with a delegation to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates for trade talks after his trip to Anzac services in Turkey and before he went to Afghanistan.
Instead, he choose to return to New Zealand last Tuesday to attend the funerals at Ohakea airbase on Thursday before flying out to Afghanistan on Friday.
Cognition Education chief executive John Langley, who was on the trade mission to the Gulf Cooperation Council states, has criticised the decision.
Mr Key's decision was New Zealand's long-term interest and he was pandering to "public opinion and our moralistic and judgmental press", Dr Langley said in an opinion piece in The New Zealand Herald.
The public would have understood the Prime Minister's duties and obligations could conflict with local events and he had to do what was best for the long-term interests of the country.
"That does not involve scuttling back to New Zealand and abandoning an incredibly important mission that is the precursor to the signing of a free trade agreement between New Zealand and one of the wealthiest regions of the world," he said.
"Would he have rushed back if the three killed had been a rescue helicopter team or three people killed in road accidents? I think not.
"His actions were short-sighted and irresponsible."
Mr Key should have contacted the families of the three men, issued a public statement and let a deputy represent him, Dr Langley said.
Trade Negotiations Minister Tim Groser said Mr Key's decision to return for the funerals had not done any damage.
"I can assure you that every single minister in the states that I visited ... not only totally understood the Prime Minister's decisions when I explained the very, very strong emotional significance of Anzac Day in terms of our history as a nation but thought it was totally appropriate that the New Zealand Prime Minister has to pull out."
Mr Key has not yet returned to New Zealand and his office was not commenting on Dr Langley's remarks.
