Bidders take PM doodle to $20,000

The Prime Minister's sketch was done hurriedly on Breakfast. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Bids for Prime Minister John Key's hastily scribbled illustration of a new national flag have reached $20,000.

Mr Key doodled his idea for a new design, a silver fern, while appearing on TVNZ's Breakfast.

He agreed to have it sold for charity on online auction site Trade Me, and later promised to have morning tea with the highest bidder.

Bidding has skyrocketed to a near-record for a charity auction.

The auction page has also turned into a forum for those disgruntled about Mr Key's proposed tax reforms.

"Will this be charged with John's new higher GST rate?" asked one watcher.

"I don't know what he'd serve [for morning tea] but I'll sure give him a serve. Fancy him suggesting he's going to drop the fat cats' tax rates?" said another.

Several website users expressed interest in the drawing, but not the morning tea host.

"If I was the successful bidder I'd rather have morning tea with Pippa [Wetzel, the Breakfast co-host], not John Key," wrote one.

But some auction watchers were quick to recall former PM Helen Clark's action in taking credit for a painting that wasn't her own.

"At least this Prime Minister actually drew it, and didn't just assign his moniker to someone else's scribble," one wrote.

The proceeds of the auction will go to charity Cure Kids.

Chief executive Vicki Lee said the bidding had already exceeded expectations.

There was concern that the highest bid of $20,000 was made by a bidder with a slightly dubious trading record. But Trade Me spokesman Paul Ford said all bids on high-profile auctions were checked for legitimacy, and staff would be "moving heaven and earth" to ensure the top bids were genuine before the auction closed on Tuesday.

John Key's cast from his broken arm which was signed by Australian counterpart Kevin Rudd fetched $18,500 for the Fred Hollows Foundation on Trade Me.