New Zealand's 'hapless PM'

New Zealand's John Key adds 'unidentified guest' to unwanted tags

PM with history of unflattering coverage photographed but not recognised at Nelson Mandela memorial

the Guardian,

11 December, 2013

Spare a thought for the New Zealand prime minister John Key, or, as he is known in the rest of the world, the "unidentified guest".

Domestically, polls show he has been a popular leader. But during each of his big moments on the international stage, he seems to attract another small insult.

The latest incident came this week when Key was photographed by the European Pressphoto Agency joking with his British counterpart at Nelson Mandela's memorial service. The caption? "British Prime Minister David Cameron (R) laughs with an unidentified guest …"

The incident received plenty of media attention in New Zealand, especially after the photo ran on the New York Daily News website. The caption has since been updated.

But it seemed to fit a pattern. In 2011, Key was jubilant after Barack Obama agreed to meet him in the Oval Office. At the subsequent press conference, however, Obama repeatedly referred to him as "Prime Minister Keyes." Perhaps the worst part was that nobody seemed to notice.

When he visited the Queen this year, the Daily Mail described "Kay" as a "galloping colonial clot" for breaking royal protocol by discussing his visit and releasing a photo of himself in the Queen's private sitting room. Never mind that it 

wasn't Key, but a reporter, who had taken and distributed the picture.

Then there was Key's goofy 2009 appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, during which Key read out the top 10 reasons to visit New Zealand. Letterman asked him whether the nation was near Tasmania, how many years the plane ride had taken, and whether New Zealand got mail.