Key's chance to take control

Personal statement by PM could lance the ponytail boil — and gazump the Opposition .

If John Key wants to make life a lot easier for himself, he should immediately seek leave to make a personal explanation when Parliament sits this afternoon.

Under standing orders - Parliament's rules - MPs are allowed to make personal statements to the House if their integrity has come into question or they have been accused of improper conduct or practices.

Today is the first opportunity since the Prime Minister returned from overseas for him to do himself a power of good by using the backdrop of Parliament to make an unconditional apology to Amanda Bailey for his pulling on the waitress' ponytail during his frequent visits to the Parnell cafe where she works.

Front-footing the matter in such fashion might even enable Key to draw a line under something that has been a huge embarrassment for him.

It would show real contrition and that he treated the matter with the utmost seriousness - something that was not always apparent in his responses to reporters' questions while he was overseas.

Such an apology would weaken the moral righteousness of those who want to pursue Key through the courts by laying assault charges against him.

A personal explanation is also the smart political thing for Key to do.

Having heaped criticism on the Prime Minister, Opposition parties feel they are obliged to put questions to him on the matter during question time to ministers even though there has been a backlash against what many people see as unjustified hounding of him.

A personal explanation made to the House beforehand could take a lot of wind out of Opposition sails. It would also leave Opposition parties in a bit of a quandary.

To make a personal explanation requires the leave of the House. It would require only one MP to voice objection to block Key from being able to speak. But blocking him would look churlish and allow Key to grab back some of the authority and credibility he has lost through exposure of his predilection for pulling ponytails.

Allowing Key to make such a statement could well be to the Opposition's disadvantage, however. Such explanations are not allowed to become the subject of parliamentary debate.

Making a personal explanation is not itself without embarrassment. But it would allow Key to lance this boil - an increasing priority for National as the saga continues to drag on.

Key's repeated response to questions at his weekly press conference yesterday was that he had said all he was going to say about the matter.

That stance is short-sighted. He is going to have to make a reasonable fist of answering questions in Parliament this afternoon. He might be better advised to gazump his opponents by getting in first with a revised version of events and a genuine apology which deprives this political firestorm of any more oxygen.