Labour has pummelled National leader John Key in parliament,
accusing him of flip-flopping on whether New Zealand troops should
be sent to Iraq.
The attack appeared to blindside Key, who denied his stance on Iraq
had changed.
He labelled the verbal assault government spin.
Key arrived feeling chipper, thinking it would be sacked Cabinet minister David Benson-Pope on the rack. Instead it was him feeling the full force of a frenzied attack.
"Either Mr Key has a defective memory or simply he's not telling the truth to disguise his poor judgement. And yet another flip flop," says Phil Goff, Defence Minister.
Minister after minister joined in the attack.
"He was taking the advice from his colleague Tim Groser and may he have been taking anything else as well?" says Peter Hodgson, Health Minister, referring to Groser's admission he has smoked cannabis.
Key was not amused, but then it was his turn with claims he had flip-flopped on sending troops to Iraq.
Four years ago, he was reported as saying New Zealand should commit troops, saying "blood is thicker than water and we should stick with the family which has supported us in the past."
More recently he said National would not send troops to Iraq.
"We've made it quite clear, you know, we won't be going to Iraq, we wouldn't have sent troops to Iraq."
Goff says the statements do not stack up.
"That does not stack up with your subsequent claims, Mr Key, that you would not have committed troops to Iraq and you know it," says Goff.
Key clearly disagreed with Labour's spin, saying "that's not right." He thought about challenging it, but didn't, perhaps on the advice of colleagues.
Gerry Brownlee, Shadow Leader of the House, had a go.
"I wonder would he be interested in knowing Mr Key and the National Party's position on the Boer War, the Crimean War, the First World War," Brownlee says.
This was an important political moment for Key. It is the first time he has faced such a brutal attack. He seemed unprepared and uncertain how to respond. In the past he has shown natural instinct and aggression, but this time he was found wanting.
The attacks went on.
"More recently he's been under some illusion he's a member of the Labour Party," says Michael Cullen, Deputy Prime Minister in a reference to the gaffe Key made in a speech over the weekend when he referred to leading a Labour government.
State Services Minister Annette King criticised Key over his stance on the Therapeutic Medicines Bill saying he has gone from saying he would support it to saying that he wouldn't.
After taking a hiding itself lately, Labour has clearly decided it is time to take the gloves off.
