Mop wars escalate as Labour clips Key

Labour MP Trevor Mallard suggested that John Key dyed his hair. Photo / Getty Images

As National and Labour unveil their policy platforms for the new year, they have engaged in a fluffier skirmish - over hair.

Labour MP Trevor Mallard yesterday posted photos online of the Prime Minister from 2007 and 2008, showing John Key with allegedly dyed hair.

But the Prime Minister's office quickly insisted that Mr Key had "never, ever" dyed his hair, and staff could not explain Mr Mallard's poorly lit photographs.

The Labour MP said he didn't "give a stuff whether people dye their hair" - in fact, he was jealous of politicians who had enough hair to dye.

"But then John Key denied colouring his hair. So in the interest of fairness, here are two photos of John Key."

It was Labour leader Phil Goff's hair that sparked the interest, after he appeared for his state of the nation speech on Tuesday sporting darker hair and a more youthful look.

After initially skirting questions about it, Mr Goff yesterday admitted it was a personal decision prompted by his wife, Mary, who has prominent streaks in her hair.

It is understood Phil Goff's parliamentary publicist was not consulted about the makeover.

It is not the first time that hair has caused a political kerfuffle.

Overseas, a leaked memo from United States politician Mitt Romney's presidential campaign in 2007 listed his hair as a concern for his "brand".

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi defended getting hair transplants in 2004 as "a way of showing respect to those who expect you to represent them on an international and national stage".

The New Yorker magazine has advanced a theory Presidents are more successful if they part their hair on the right, while in Turkey it is facial hair: a sociologist has expounded on the political significance of moustache styles.

In NZ, the issue of hairstyles has sometimes got our politicians in the news for the wrong reasons. Bill English's driver received a ticket in 2009 after illegally parking for 50 minutes while the Finance Minister got his hair cut. The hairdressers, Haight Ashbury, said Mr English was no longer a customer.

"He used to have great hair," said salon co-ordinator Catherine Hunt. "I personally love Lockwood Smith's hair. He has fantastic haircuts," she said, before admitting Parliament's Speaker was a Haight Ashbury client.

"To be honest, anything that makes our politicians mildly more attractive is a good thing ... New Zealand politicians aren't that attractive. Anything to make them more appealing to the eye."

Ms Hunt said MPs should push the boundaries more and stop being drab like the City of Wellington.

Media commentator Brian Edwards wrote on his blog that having sex appeal helped a leader's electoral chances, but being unattractive did not hinder them.

"Less attractive men - one thinks of Kirk, Muldoon, Lange - suffered no apparent loss of electoral support because of their size or appearance," Dr Edwards said. Appearing genuine was more important, he said.

"Voters are suspicious of makeovers, whether actual or courtesy of Photoshop. They want to see the real you."