Of prime ministerial hair and ear pulling

Prime Ministers are not known to apologise easily. Indeed, they often don’t apologise at all, either by skirting the issue or by expressing only “deep remorse”. Their choice of words has been a sticking point for years in the post-World War II mea culpas offered by Japan, for instance. So the ready penitence by the New Zealand PM John Key is a welcome change.

It helps, of course, that his transgression was pulling a waitress’s ponytail repeatedly over several months rather than an egregious Clintonian infraction. However, the post facto hair splitting over whether his actions amounted to common assault and if there was dereliction of duty by the police in not apprehending him for the ‘crime’ earlier is understandable.

After all, politicians are not usually upbraided for hair pulling and the PM is a repeat offender, even if it is a puerile misdemeanor, not a felony. As other New Zealanders have also come forward with tales of similar prime ministerial tres(s)passes, whether these constitute deliberate abuse of power or merely compulsive playfulness becomes a key consideration.

While resignation for ponytail pulling is an unlikely eventuality, it would set a precedent that may have ramifications much beyond New Zealand’s shores as our own PM has displayed a distinct inclination for lightheartedly pulling children’s ears too.