KEY POINTS:
National Party leader John Key will collect 12-year-old Aroha Nathan from McGehan Close in a Crown limousine this morning and take her to Waitangi in the sequel to his state-of-the-nation speech a week ago.
Mr Key arranged the day out for his young companion when he visited the Owairaka street on Saturday, after citing it in his speech as an example of New Zealand's "growing underclass".
List MP Jackie Blue, who will be Aroha's chaperone for the trip and a night in the Copthorne Hotel, said Mr Key made the offer to Aroha when he was talking to young people at McGehan Close about what they were planning to do on Waitangi Day.
Aroha's mother, Joan Nathan, was among a group of residents who at first confronted Mr Key about his speech and his depiction of their area and who later said she would vote for him.
Mr Key said he had been talking with Aroha about a programme called "I have a dream" through which she had visited Waitomo Caves.
She had told him it had been her first visit outside Auckland.
He then told her about his next visit - to Waitangi - and when she had said that sounded good, he asked her on the spur of the moment if she would like to go with him, if her mother agreed.
Mr Key has two children of a similar age, 11 and 13, though they are not going to Waitangi.
Aroha will drive back to Auckland tomorrow with Dr Blue.
Mr Key will be flying back in the morning to join Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples at Hoani Waititi Marae in Henderson.
The National Party leader is drawing flak for personalising his state-of-the-nation speech, and not just from the MP for the Owairaka area, Phil Goff, who paid a visit to the street a day before his rival's well-publicised appearance.
United Future leader Peter Dunne said that having cited McGehan Close in his speech, Mr Key was almost honour bound to follow it up with a visit.
"I think he wins kudos for that. I think most people would say good on him for doing it, but it was a bit of a stunt."
Mr Goff remained annoyed yesterday at Mr Key's focus on the area.
Asked to comment on the Leader of the Opposition's announcement that Tasti Foods had agreed to provide the nearby Wesley Primary with school breakfasts and lunch, Mr Goff said: "I can't claim to have seen evidence of malnutrition in my electorate."
Mr Goff said families with social problems were to be expected in areas where Housing New Zealand provided homes to people with the lowest incomes and with the greatest social needs.
"But you can't tar the street with that brush and you can't say in New Zealand that there is a sense of hopelessness. Far from it."
