John Key Says He Was Just "Horsing Around" When He Pulled Waitress's Ponytail

"John seemed to think that his job demanded less professionalism than that of a waitress, yet he’s the one that’s running our entire country."

The prime minister of New Zealand has been labelled "weird" and a "schoolyard bully" for repeatedly tugging on the hair of a waitress at an Auckland cafe.

Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images

The waitress wrote about the incident in an anonymous post on the left-wing blog The Daily Blog.

She said the PM touched her hair on several occasions when he and his wife Bronagh came into the cafe.

"In the beginning, the first time he pulled on my hair, I remember thinking to myself he's probably just trying to be playful and jolly, seeing as the general consensus of most who meet him is 'he's such a nice guy'".

She says the prime minister used to "raise his hands high and make scary, suspense sound effects, like the music from the movie Jaws that we all know so well."

Universal Pictures

But when it kept happening, she started to get annoyed.

ONE News @ONENewsNZ

.@johnkeypm the ponytail tugging PM, apologises to waitress with wine http://t.co/e9bCjMK6sF

11:50 PM - 21 Apr 2015

"It then happened yet again when he next visited the cafe and again I didn’t respond verbally, but everything about my body language screamed I DON’T LIKE THAT," the waitress wrote.

She said she was very uncomfortable and tried avoiding interaction with Key whenever he came in, and expressed shock that the prime minister of the country did not know that it was inappropriate to pull a woman's hair.

According to the waitress, it wasn't until she said to him "Please STOP or I will actually hit you soon!" that he apologised, giving her two bottles of 2012 Pinot Noir with his initials on it.

The prime minister has been forced to defend his actions today, telling reporters that his hair-pulling was a "bit of banter" and that he apologised as soon as he realised his actions were not appreciated.

Screenshot / TVNZ

"We have lots of fun and games there, there's always lots of practical jokes and things. It's a very warm and friendly relationship.

"But if you look at it now, no. When I realised she took offence by that I just sort of immediately went back, gave her some wine, apologised and said I was terribly sorry," Key said.

"It was all in the context of a bit of banter that was going on, and so obviously I immediately apologised for that.

"She thanked me for that and said 'that's all fine, no drama'".

Weirdly, it's not even the first time the PM has copped flak for touching a ponytail without permission.

imgur.com

Last year he was filmed on a current affairs program touching the ponytail of a young girl at a market near Auckland.

The editor of The Daily Blog says he was heavily criticised on social media for publishing the story until John Key commented.

Martyn Bradbury @CitizenBomber

Haters gonna hate right up until the PM admits and apologises - then haters go real quiet

11:37 PM - 21 Apr 2015