Rt Hon Winston Peters
New Zealand First Leader
17 October 2012
Key Again Caught Red-Handed Over Dotcom – Peters
Prime Minister John Key claimed in May 2012 there were no records and he had no recollection of what was discussed at a
meeting with then-Justice Minister Simon Power who was at the time deciding whether to give Kim Dotcom approval to buy
New Zealand property.
Mr Key said in reply to a written question from New Zealand First that he met Mr Power on 13 June 2011 but “there is no
record of what was discussed at that meeting and I have no recollection of the discussion.”
Rt Hon Winston Peters says today’s unbelievable assurance from Mr Key that Mr Power had not mentioned Dotcom has caught
the Prime Minister red-handed in not telling the truth.
‘‘How can he possibly recall what Mr Power said when he previously said in May this year that he had no recollection of
the discussion on June 13, 2011?
“It rings yet another alarm bell over Mr Key’s style of leadership, and convenient memory lapses about Dotcom by his
senior ministers.
“This total lack of transparency is no way to run a country.”
Mr Peters says Mr Power was involved in Dotcom’s application to purchase a Hollywood-style mansion in Mr Key’s own
Helensville electorate from April to July 2011.
“The missing meeting between Mr Power and Mr Key, for which he claims there are no records, occurred during that period
which was seven months prior to the date that Mr Key claims he first became aware of Dotcom’s existence.
“The public is being asked to believe that Mr Key’s chief of staff and diary secretary, and Mr Power’s staff, knew
nothing about the meeting.
“That is hogwash.
“We are also being asked to believe that neither Mr Key nor Mr Power were accompanied to the meeting by a staff member,
and that no records prior to, during, or after the meeting were made and kept. It defies credulity.
“It throws up even more questions that the Prime Minister will no doubt try to dodge by using his ‘spray and walk away’
tactics,” says Mr Peters.
ENDS