PM footing own legal bill

The Prime Minister says he is paying out of his own pocket for legal advice about his tugging of a waitress' ponytail.

John Key told reporters yesterday afternoon that he was not worried about any legal action, and he had hired a lawyer only because he might be required to answer questions in relation to a private prosecution taken against him.

Former accountant and serial litigant Graham McCready has filed papers in the Auckland District Court alleging that Mr Key assaulted waitress Amanda Bailey when he repeatedly pulled her ponytail in the Parnell cafe where she works.

Ms Bailey, 26, is also considering separate legal action against the Prime Minister.

Mr Key would not comment on what he would do if Ms Bailey took him to court. He also refused to comment on other aspects of the case during his post-Cabinet press conference, saying the incident had been "well traversed".

Ms Bailey will meet the Unite Union tomorrow to decide whether she will take her harassment complaint any further.

The union said it was advising her on employment issues.

It is believed that Ms Bailey asked Mr McCready to drop his private prosecution in case she wanted to take legal action herself.

Mr McCready said the waitress approached him through her union last week. "She didn't want [the case] to proceed," he said. "The union did say she might want to do it some time in the future, but she didn't want to do it now."

Mr McCready refused her request, saying, "We don't take instructions from anybody."

Mr Key told Radio New Zealand yesterday that he misread the situation and regretted the incidents, but rejected accusations of sexism and said he could have done the same thing to a man.

"There is a bit of context there. And the context was a very good-natured environment that we were in and it was very much a sort of thing in jest."