An amusing exchange

Jane Clifton reports from the House yesterday:

Prime Minister John Key hit on a cute method of deflating the Opposition’s ambush question strategy yesterday – though he probably won’t try it again.

Asked by Labour leader David Shearer whether he stood by his recent statements – one of those mystery questions that can lead to follow-up questions on just about anything – Mr Key grinned and said, “Yes, specially the one I said to my wife when I told her I loved her.”

This temporarily took the wind out of Mr Shearer’s sails because it’s hard to ask tough questions in a menacing fashion when you’re laughing.

General laughter was prolonged, including applause from Mr Key’s colleagues, and Speaker Lockwood Smith had trouble restoring order.

When finally he got a word in, he said, “Members would be wise to remember that if they include material in their answers, they can be questioned on it.”

“Yes,” cried Labour’s Annette King. “What did she say?”

The PM may be lucky that Labour didn’t ask supplementary questions about Bronagh 🙂