Taxpayer set to foot Key's defence bills over 'teapot tape'

‘Teapot tapes’ cameraman to sue PM for $1.25m after filing documents in court.

Three years on, the "teapot tapes" saga is headed for court and the taxpayer is set to foot much of the bill after it was confirmed yesterday that freelance cameraman Bradley Ambrose is suing Prime Minister John Key for $1.25 million.

The Prime Minister was yesterday standing by his statements about Mr Ambrose made in the wake of the cameraman's recording of his 2011 pre-election chat over the teacups with Act's Epsom candidate, John Banks, at a Newmarket cafe.

Documents filed in the High Court at Auckland yesterday revealed Mr Ambrose is seeking $500,000 in aggravated damages relating to comments made by Mr Key at a media conference three days after the incident.

He is also seeking a further $500,000 in relation to comments Mr Key made in an interview on TV3's Firstline the following day.

The day after that, Mr Key made further comments to journalists at an Upper Hutt media conference over which Mr Ambrose is seeking a further $250,000.

Mr Ambrose also says he lost tens of thousands of dollars as work dried up during the scandal.

Mr Key yesterday brushed off the significance of Mr Ambrose's legal action.

"I don't resile from anything I've said," he told reporters. "It's been a long-standing dispute and in the end it'll go through the court process."

His office later confirmed Mr Key's legal bills would be paid out of the taxpayer-funded parliamentary budget for the National leader's office.

Speaking from Port Vila in Vanuatu yesterday, Mr Ambrose said he would not be commenting and directed the Herald to his lawyer Chris Hocquard of Dominion Law. However, Mr Hocquard said he was not in a position to comment either.

After the original incident, Mr Key lodged a complaint with the police who investigated and issued a warning to Mr Ambrose over the recording, which the cameraman maintains was not deliberate.

The investigation led to the offices of media organisations being searched by police and the content of Mr Key and Mr Banks' conversation widely discussed.

The tale of the teapot

November 11, 2011: Prime Minister John Key meets Act's John Banks at a Newmarket cafe for a symbolic cup of tea to induce National supporters to vote for the Act candidate. Their conversation is captured after freelance cameraman Bradley Ambrose leaves a recording device in a black bag on their table.
November 14: Mr Key lays a complaint with police after details of his conversation with Mr Banks are published in the Herald on Sunday.
November 23: Police search the offices of the Herald on Sunday and TVNZ as part of their investigation.
January 26, 2012: The recording is anonymously published online.
March 26: Police say that after a four-month investigation they chose not to press charges against Mr Ambrose.
May 5: Mr Ambrose reveals he and his lawyers are considering suing Mr Key for his comments about him.
Yesterday: Court documents reveal Mr Ambrose is suing Mr Key for $1.25 million.