Tape saga going from ridiculous to dangerous

The over-reaction of the Prime Minister John Key to the tea-tape saga sets a dangerous precedent, Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei said today.

Following a complaint from John Key four media outlets, including Radio New Zealand and TVNZ, are to be searched by Police for material they might have in their possession that relates to the tea tapes.

"People have the right to privacy, however the actions of the Prime Minister involving the Police are extreme," said Mrs Turei.

"There is a fine line between protecting privacy and threatening the independence of the media and that line has well and truly been crossed.

"The media act as a safeguard in our democracy and it is now time for the Prime Minister to rethink his actions and release the tape so we can focus on the issues for the rest of the election," said Mrs Turei.

"If the Prime Minister had been upfront at the beginning and agreed to release of the tape none of this would have happened.

"Now we have the Police about to raid four media outlets in pursuit of an allegedly benign conversation," said Mrs Turei.