Close-up view of political storm

John Key and Stephen Harper swapped national sport jerseys yesterday. Photo / AP

Prime Minister John Key found himself on the fringes of a political scandal in Ottawa yesterday, involving allegations of cocaine use and blackmail.

The scandal ensured that Mr Key had a good turnout for his press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who has sacked his Minister of State for the Status of Women, but won't say why.

Mr Key took the lack of interest in himself as no particular slight. He was to get a private briefing on the matter last night and share his own experiences with Mr Harper, one of his closest political friends.

Last year Mr Key sacked former Minister Richard Worth without saying why.

Mr Harper has forced out Helena Guergis, not only from his Government but from his Conservatives Party, and has referred her case to the Mounties.

The former minister's husband, Rahim Jaffer, is also a former MP who lost his seat in 2008. They married the next day. A series of allegations have emerged against Jaffer in the past few weeks including that he lobbied while not a registered lobbyist, and that he promised a shady businessman at a dinner that he would use his influence to gain access to the Prime Minister's Office.

The night of the dinner, Jaffer was arrested for drink-driving and speeding, and for cocaine possession after a strip-search but the charges were reduced to careless driving and he was fined.

It was alleged by a news outlet this week that the allegation against Guergis was of drug use and blackmail that could compromise the minister.

It has been 11 years since a New Zealand prime minister visited Canada, a country that both National and Labour governments have used for political diplomatic postings.

The last political posting was Labour's Graham Kelly - prompted by the fact that United Future leader Peter Dunne had wanted Graham Kelly's old job, chairman of the foreign affairs and defence select committee.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully has ended or at least suspended that process, appointing his own former ministerial adviser and promising diplomat Andrew Needs to the post.

Yesterday, Mr Harper presented Mr Key with a jersey of the Canadian ice hockey team that recently won the gold medal in the winter Olympics and Mr Key gave Mr Harper an All Blacks jersey.

Earlier in the day, the mood was more solemn as Mr Key laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier at the National War Memorial.

He met several New Zealanders there, including Steve Wren who used to play squash with him.

Tomorrow, Canada marks a day of national mourning for the deaths of Polish President Lech Kaczynski, his wife, Maria, and 95 others. Mr Harper will fly to Warsaw for the funeral. About a million Canadians have Polish ancestry.

Mr Key returns home early tomorrow.