NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • Deloitte Fast 50
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Key launches scathing attack on Cunliffe's credibility

By Simon Collins
APNZ·
28 Jan, 2014 10:20 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Labour leader David Cunliffe. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Labour leader David Cunliffe. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Labour leader David Cunliffe. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Prime Minister John Key has launched a scathing attack on Labour leader David Cunliffe's credibility, calling him "tricky" and questioning whether he's been telling the public the truth.

Speaking on TV3's Firstline this morning about Labour's $60-a-week child payment scheme, Mr Key accepted that some elements of the new policy have "merit".

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
/
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time -0:00
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • subtitles settings, opens subtitles settings dialog
    • subtitles off, selected

      This is a modal window.

      Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.

      Text
      Text Background
      Caption Area Background
      Font Size
      Text Edge Style
      Font Family

      End of dialog window.

      This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.

      But he went on to say it was unfunded and not well targeted, before accusing Mr Cunliffe of "misleading New Zealanders" over the scheme.

      He said Mr Cunliffe claimed the benefit would be paid out for the first year of the baby's life, as long as you earn under $150,000.

      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.
      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.

      But the money starts being paid only once paid parental leave ends.

      "David Cunliffe's developing a reputation around Parliament for being very tricky," Mr Key said.

      "He [Cunliffe] just needs to learn to be up front with the public so they can actually trust his word.

      Cunliffe defends 'baby bonus'
      Labour leader David Cunliffe has set out a policy to give most parents of new born babies a payment of $60 a week until that baby turns one, while those on middle and lower incomes will continue to receive the payment until the child turns ...
      Video Player is loading.
      Current Time 0:00
      /
      Duration 0:00
      Loaded: 0%
      0:00
      Stream Type LIVE
      Remaining Time -0:00
       
      1x
        • Chapters
        • descriptions off, selected
        • subtitles settings, opens subtitles settings dialog
        • subtitles off, selected

          This is a modal window.

          Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.

          Text
          Text Background
          Caption Area Background
          Font Size
          Text Edge Style
          Font Family

          End of dialog window.

          This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.

          NOW PLAYING • Cunliffe defends 'baby bonus'
          Labour leader David Cunliffe has set out a policy to give most parents of new born babies a payment of $60 a week until that baby turns one, while those on middle and lower incomes will continue to receive the payment until the child turns ...

          "I read his speeches and now after a number of examples of this, I really question whether the guy is telling me the truth ..."

          Advertisement
          Advertise with NZME.

          Yesterday, Mr Key said the Government will "have a look" at extending paid parental leave to beyond 14 weeks as early as the middle of this year.

          On Firstline this morning Mr Key denied imitating Labour's policies.

          "Paid parental leave is one of those things where we've always said, under the right conditions, when we can afford it, of course there's a case to extend that a bit. At the moment we pay 14 weeks; could that go out a bit more? My view is probably yes."

          Key may extend paid parental leave
          Prime Minister John Key this morning hinted that National is working on its own legislation to extend paid parental leave but for a shorter period than the 26 weeks Labour is pushing for. ...
          Video Player is loading.
          Current Time 0:00
          /
          Duration 0:00
          Loaded: 0%
          Stream Type LIVE
          Remaining Time -0:00
           
          1x
            • Chapters
            • descriptions off, selected
            • subtitles settings, opens subtitles settings dialog
            • subtitles off, selected

              This is a modal window.

              Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.

              Text
              Text Background
              Caption Area Background
              Font Size
              Text Edge Style
              Font Family

              End of dialog window.

              This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.

              NOW PLAYING • Key may extend paid parental leave
              Prime Minister John Key this morning hinted that National is working on its own legislation to extend paid parental leave but for a shorter period than the 26 weeks Labour is pushing for. ...

              Given the cost of the Christchurch earthquakes, coupled with the global financial crisis, and "racking up massive debts" to pay for existing programmes, Mr Key said there was no credible argument to increase paid parental leave before now.

              Discover more

              New Zealand|politics

              Labour targets new parents

              27 Jan 02:45 AM
              Opinion

              John Armstrong: Fishhooks in the fine print for baby producers expecting a windfall

              27 Jan 04:30 PM
              New Zealand|politics

              Baby bonus aims to cut child poverty

              27 Jan 05:40 PM
              New Zealand|politics

              National's paid parental leave plans

              27 Jan 11:21 PM

              He said it came down to a matter of priorities.

              "You can go to 26 weeks of paid parental leave, but are you going to have as much money to spend on new cancer drugs that come? Or maybe more police officers, or maybe other support for other people?

              "I think you've got to get your balance right, and in my view we will get that balance right, and the Labour Party is not."

              Save
                Share this article

              Latest from New Zealand

              New Zealand

              'Disrespectful, discourteous:' Bottom-slapping, back-touching lawyer censured

              New Zealand
              |Updated

              Grandmother punched in mouth at Auckland teen football game, match abandoned

              New Zealand

              Man robs Whangārei bar, fires shot at ceiling and assaults patron


              Sponsored

              Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

              Advertisement
              Advertise with NZME.

              Recommended for you

              Trump not considering clemency for Ghislaine Maxwell
              World

              Trump not considering clemency for Ghislaine Maxwell

              'Disrespectful, discourteous:' Bottom-slapping, back-touching lawyer censured
              New Zealand

              'Disrespectful, discourteous:' Bottom-slapping, back-touching lawyer censured

              Porirua power restored after outage affects 5000 homes
              Wellington

              Porirua power restored after outage affects 5000 homes

              Trade on agenda as Trump lands in Scotland for diplomacy and golf
              World

              Trade on agenda as Trump lands in Scotland for diplomacy and golf

              Grandmother punched in mouth at Auckland teen football game, match abandoned
              New Zealand

              Grandmother punched in mouth at Auckland teen football game, match abandoned

              Arctic heatwave hits Lapland, wildfires and climate fears grow
              World

              Arctic heatwave hits Lapland, wildfires and climate fears grow



              Latest from New Zealand

              'Disrespectful, discourteous:' Bottom-slapping, back-touching lawyer censured
              New Zealand

              'Disrespectful, discourteous:' Bottom-slapping, back-touching lawyer censured

              He claimed the bottom slap was 'blokey' and the back touch was an 'innocuous courtesy'.

              26 Jul 02:00 AM
              Grandmother punched in mouth at Auckland teen football game, match abandoned
              New Zealand
              |Updated

              Grandmother punched in mouth at Auckland teen football game, match abandoned

              26 Jul 01:48 AM
              Man robs Whangārei bar, fires shot at ceiling and assaults patron
              New Zealand

              Man robs Whangārei bar, fires shot at ceiling and assaults patron

              26 Jul 12:54 AM


              Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
              Sponsored

              Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

              06 Jul 09:47 PM

              NZ Herald
              • About NZ Herald
              • Meet the journalists
              • Newsletters
              • Classifieds
              • Help & support
              • Contact us
              • House rules
              • Privacy Policy
              • Terms of use
              • Competition terms & conditions
              • Our use of AI
              Subscriber Services
              • NZ Herald e-editions
              • Daily puzzles & quizzes
              • Manage your digital subscription
              • Manage your print subscription
              • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
              • Subscribe to Herald Premium
              • Gift a subscription
              • Subscriber FAQs
              • Subscription terms & conditions
              • Promotions and subscriber benefits
              NZME Network
              • The New Zealand Herald
              • The Northland Age
              • The Northern Advocate
              • Waikato Herald
              • Bay of Plenty Times
              • Rotorua Daily Post
              • Hawke's Bay Today
              • Whanganui Chronicle
              • Viva
              • NZ Listener
              • Newstalk ZB
              • BusinessDesk
              • OneRoof
              • Driven Car Guide
              • iHeart Radio
              • Restaurant Hub
              NZME
              • About NZME
              • NZME careers
              • Advertise with NZME
              • Digital self-service advertising
              • Book your classified ad
              • Photo sales
              • NZME Events
              • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
              All Access. All in one subscription. From $2 per week
              Subscribe now

              All Access Weekly

              From $2 per week
              Pay just
              $15.75
              $2
              per week ongoing
              Subscribe now
              BEST VALUE

              All Access Annual

              Pay just
              $449
              $49
              per year ongoing
              Subscribe now
              Learn more
              30
              TOP
              search by queryly Advanced Search