Key has sympathy for Gillard

With his own experience at Waitangi behind him, Prime Minister John Key has sympathy for Australian counterpart Julia Gillard after her bruising Australia Day encounter with Aboriginal protesters.

Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott were trapped in a Canberra restaurant for 20 minutes by protestors chanting and banging on the windows before being rushed to a car by bodyguards.

"In one sense I understand completely what Julia Gillard's going through," Key said in Melbourne yesterday ahead of a dinner and seats at the Women's Open tennis final with the Australian leader.

"It's a reasonable scary situation.

"You put yourself in the hands of those who look after you. They're in the best position to judge what happens next.

"But it is quite frightening when you are in the middle of it so I have some sympathy for her."