Speaking on Q+A this morning, Mr Key said he was never involved in the dispute.
"I'm not involved and have not been involved in any support or advisory arrangement with Bronwyn Pullar or Michelle Boag."
"It's not unusual for people to use my name, they do use it, they use it without my authority."
He has said he met Ms Pullar when he first entered politics - shortly after her accident - but had not had any contact with her since he became National Party leader.
John Key is therefore calling Pullar and/or Boag liars! They would have been the people who informed Sovereign Insurance that he was part of the 28 strong support/advocate "team".
Key said that it's not unusual for people to drop his name, but the questions put to him concerning his awareness of Pullar, prior to the Sovereign Insurance letter being leaked, were very specific.
Key initially said he had no knowledge of the ACC dispute, when he had in fact discussed it with Pullar in person at a Christmas function.
On Friday, the Dominion Post reported:
ACC whistleblower Bronwyn Pullar has revealed she spoke to John Key in person about her battle with a private insurance company - but he did not offer to help her.
Pullar said today she had vented "my frustrations" to Key at a National Party Christmas event. At that time Key was the MP for Helensville and not in government.
"I was very distressed at the time and I took the opportunity to vent my frustrations. He listened politely, but I did not ask him to do anything and he did not offer to assist," Pullar said in a statement today.
It looks like Boag and Pullar have been utilizing their associations in the National party for personal gain and it is likely that very senior members of the National party (including Key) are implicated in the stand-over tactics of a private insurer and a government department.
Being that John Key is against a full inquiry... it could be that he did in fact support or advocate for Pullar in some way. If he has nothing to hide, he should support a full independent inquiry to clear up any doubt.
It would appear that Judith Collins doesn't want a proper and full inquiry because she is likely behind the leak of the Boag email. This would assuredly end her political career and further destabilize the National government... hence the right wingers now closing ranks.
