Key should be held accountable for free political hit

John Key should be held accountable for his decision to host an hour long pre-election radio show against advice from officials who warned extreme care should be taken, says Labour’s Deputy Leader Grant Robertson.

"John Key got free publicity, potentially worth tens of thousands of dollars, when he was gifted an hour-long show on Radio Live during the run-up to the election so he could promote himself and his friendship with celebrities.

“Now that the Electoral Commission has ruled the programme broke the law, legal experts are saying John Key should declare his time on-air as a donation and record it as an election expense. That would be the fair thing to do.

“I see from reports, though, that instead of taking responsibility for John Key’s poor judgement National is washing its hands of the situation. It says it is the broadcaster’s responsibility alone.

“But John Key knew exactly what he was doing. He was aware of advice from the Electoral Commission urging extreme caution be exercised, but he couldn’t resist the opportunity for free self-promotion.

“John Key’s claim that the show would supposedly be an ‘election-free zone’ is ridiculous. If it wasn’t going to benefit him politically, why would he have bothered doing it - unless he fancies a future career as a DJ?

“John Key should admit that he showed poor judgement and take responsibility for his role in the legal breach.

“Labour also believes that we need to take a hard look at the length of time it currently takes to resolve complaints. The fact this decision has come out months after the action was taken means that no immediate remedy was able to be pursued during the critical election period.

“Labour would support moves to improve that process to ensure a fair outcome for all political parties in future,” Grant Robertson said.