PM on parenting and social media after son's holiday video

Prime Minister John Key gets sentimental about parenting after son’s “Summer Paradise” video

Prime Minister John Key’s son Max released a video on Sunday night, called 'Summer Paradise', focussing primarily on his adventures with model girlfriend Amelia Finlayson.

Update: A full transcript of the press conference is here.

The Prime Minister addressed the video in a post-cabinet press conference this afternoon, discussing his role as a parent to Stephie and Max.

“I am their loving father,” he said.

Although Key said he was a “reluctant participant” in the video, he conceded that some of his children’s actions were beyond his control.

When asked if he, in both his capacity as a father and as Prime Minister, had the power to veto his children’s decisions, Key said: “The question is whether they would listen to me. I think it’s highly debatable whether they would”.

Key said he saw the video before it went up, but his office did not vet it.

“In the end, young people get engaged in social media. They have Instagrams and they have Facebook. Some people will make the case that I should be the censor. But on the other side of the coin, I’m Prime Minister, I’m also a father, and most fathers let their kids have social media pages.

“I’ve wanted my kids to grow up naturally as much as they possibly can, to run their own lives. They’ve got to take the good and the bad that comes with that. And there’ll be plenty of bad that comes along, and there’ll be some good as well. That’s just the way it is. But if I try and stop that, then I just don’t think I’m doing them justice in the responsibility I have as their father,” he said.

The video was filmed in both Hawaii and New Zealand.

John, Bronagh and Stephie Key all cameo in the segments filmed in Hawaii, as they were on a family holiday.

Amelia and I have been putting together a video from some of our adventures which will be dropping next week. Stay tuned for more

A photo posted by MAX KEY (@maxkey_) on Jul 15, 2015 at 11:00pm PDT

Post-cabinet press-release audio here:

ENDS

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