KEY POINTS:
Barely minutes after assuming effective leadership of the country, John Key flip-flopped.
Before a swarm of smitten supporters at National's party headquarters, the Prime Minister-elect went all-Obama as he thanked his wife, Bronagh, and his children Stephie, 15, and Max, 13.
"I've got a bit of bad news though, guys: there's no puppy coming," Mr Key said, in reference to the new United States President's pledge to reward his two children for their patience with a dog.
But as the crowd jokingly rebuked the National Party leader, he reneged. "Maybe we better reconsider the puppy. The cat won't like it but we can work our way through that."
Poor Moonbeam, the Key family moggy - the first victim of the change in government.
Behind him on stage, Stephie and Max grinned. In all likelihood, they weren't actually keen on a puppy. But they certainly deserved a reward of sorts. They had suddenly been thrust before the nation.
Throughout the campaign, Bronagh, married to Mr Key for almost 24 years, barely ventured into the spotlight. Stephie and Max never did. It was a conscious decision: though the fact he was a parent was a point of difference for Mr Key over Helen Clark, he said he had decided before the campaign that he did not want to be seen to be using them. Saturday, however, was a night for a family celebration and he wanted his children there when he spoke on stage.
On the election trail, the story we most heard was of John Key the investment banker (and, yes, that was partly because of the H-Fee saga which dated back to his days as a 1980s foreign exchange dealer). With his background, however, he had a story which could have resonated far more.
Asked during the last televised debate about what moved him or brought tears to his eyes, Lord knows why he didn't speak about his mother, instead warbling about the All Blacks and National's hospice policy.
Ruth Key, who died in 2000, bore a stoic capacity to rebound when life threw her its worst. As a teenager, she fled the Nazis as a Jewish refugee out of Austria. Then, Ruth became a widowed mother of three when her husband George died suddenly in 1969 after they had settled in New Zealand. John, her youngest, was seven.
And yet, rather than let her lot imbue her with bitterness, Ruth dedicated herself to loving and caring for her children and instilling the belief that they must strive for more. In the Christchurch state house John grew up in with his sisters, Liz and Sue, his mother would constantly say: "You can do better than this; I expect you to work your way up in the world."
Liz and Sue were with John on Saturday, sharing the euphoria and bursting with pride. On the other side of the world following progress online was one of his long-lost half-brothers, Martyn Key. He and his older brother, Peter, were the children of George Key from his first marriage.
Mr Key and his sisters grew up with barely any contact with Martyn and Peter, but since a Weekend Herald profile on Mr Key in July, the families have been in touch regularly. Martyn said from his home in England, he would meet Liz when she visited over Christmas. As for the election, he said: "I am watching the results via the internet and have been following the election from the start - very exciting. We are very proud too."
MILESTONES
1961: Born August 9.
1975-1979: Attends Burnside High School, Christchurch.
1980-1982: Studies accounting at Canterbury University.
1984: Marries Bronagh Dougan.
1985-1995: Works as a currency trader at Elders Merchant Finance, Wellington, and Bankers Trust, Auckland.
1995-2001: Holds senior roles for Merrill Lynch in Singapore, London and Sydney.
2002: Enters Parliament as the National MP for Helensville.
2006: Assumes leadership of the party.
2008: Leads National to victory over Helen Clark's Labour Party.
