Acting Prime Minister Bill English has had to defend the absent Prime Minister for his ponytail pulling, saying Mr Key had "intensive interactions" with the public over several years "and observed, almost always, the highest standards of appropriate behaviour".
Mr English is filling in for Mr Key while he is overseas and was faced with questions about Mr Key's repeated pulling of the ponytail of a waitress in Parnell cafe frequented by the Keys, Rosie.
Labour's Annette King had quoted Mr Key's earlier warning to his Government about the risk of arrogance slipping in in a third term and asked whether Mr Key's actions met that bar.
Ms King also asked why Mr Key had attempted to minimise it, by describing it as "horseplay," "banter" and "joking around".
Mr English said Mr Key had not attempted to minimise it and had already acknowledged it was totally inappropriate. He had apologised as soon as the waitress made it clear she was offended and that was well before public attention was drawn to it.