# ...STOP THE PRESSES! BREAKING NEWS! John Key, NZ Prime Minster, resigns. **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [December 4, 2016, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-the-presses-breaking-news-john-key-nz-prime-minster-resigns/773886 "2016-12-04T23:57:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-the-presses-breaking-news-john-key-nz-prime-minster-resigns/773886/1 "2016-12-04T23:57:29Z")
…not that anyone outside of NZ will care of course. 🙂 Breaking news right now. > **[Live: Prime Minister John Key has resigned. What happens next?](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/87202756/new-zealand-government-makes-major-announcement)** > > Bill English is to be the new Prime Minister after his last rival Jonathan Coleman pulls out of the race. This is…unusual. Thats all I can really say about it at the moment until the “talking heads” on the telly start putting in their 2 cents worth. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2016, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-the-presses-breaking-news-john-key-nz-prime-minster-resigns/773886/2 "2016-12-05T00:05:48Z")
Yep, stop the presses. They may have to reprint page 17 due to this. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2016, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-the-presses-breaking-news-john-key-nz-prime-minster-resigns/773886/3 "2016-12-05T00:36:50Z")
The Black Caps did go down to Australia in an entertaining ODI last night at the SCG, but I wouldn’t have thought that was a resigning matter. I mean, if he was Chairman of Selectors in the aftermath of [Ireland beating the All Blacks](http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-06/rugby-union-ireland-beat-all-blacks-at-last-to-end-record-run/7998728)last month then resignation would certainly have been understandable. ---
**Author:** ![Skara\_Brae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Skara\_Brae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skara_Brae)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2016, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-the-presses-breaking-news-john-key-nz-prime-minster-resigns/773886/4 "2016-12-05T00:41:31Z")
Was it a [Ponytail](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ihReeJg08ns) related scandal? ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2016, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-the-presses-breaking-news-john-key-nz-prime-minster-resigns/773886/5 "2016-12-05T00:42:37Z")
So how does this affect the sheep industry? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2016, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-the-presses-breaking-news-john-key-nz-prime-minster-resigns/773886/6 "2016-12-05T04:24:43Z")
I don’t understand; I thought Flight of the Conchords was cancelled. Is this some sort of fanfic? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2016, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-the-presses-breaking-news-john-key-nz-prime-minster-resigns/773886/7 "2016-12-05T12:19:10Z")
Somehow, I’m not sure how, but somehow, a Sumatran Rat Monkey is involved with this. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2016, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-the-presses-breaking-news-john-key-nz-prime-minster-resigns/773886/8 "2016-12-05T14:01:47Z")
Hey Kiwi friends, I (a Yank) happen to be visiting your fair land atm, and yes, I agree this is kind of a big deal, modulo the size of the country and everything. I kind of wonder if the National Party are expecting some blowback from a Trump Presidency and would like to get the new broom in place before a resentful public gets a chance to take out their irritation on the old broom. But I know nothing of your politics except I think your Earthquake Commission Minister has got the portfolio from hell. (Pretty much literally, considering all the lava and stuff.) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2016, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-the-presses-breaking-news-john-key-nz-prime-minster-resigns/773886/9 "2016-12-05T14:09:41Z")
How will this affect the _Lord of the Rings_ prequels? ---
**Author:** ![Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d9b06d/32.png) [@Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boozahol_Squid_P.I)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2016, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-the-presses-breaking-news-john-key-nz-prime-minster-resigns/773886/10 "2016-12-05T14:32:31Z")
Is New Zealand like Australia, where the parties are all pretty much the same, or might a flip from the National Party to Labour actually change things? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2016, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-the-presses-breaking-news-john-key-nz-prime-minster-resigns/773886/11 "2016-12-05T15:17:52Z")
My Yanksplanation is that National and Labour are much closer in outlook than conservative and liberal parties in many other countries, but nowhere near so close as to be interchangeable. ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2016, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-the-presses-breaking-news-john-key-nz-prime-minster-resigns/773886/12 "2016-12-05T16:45:46Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Somehow, I’m not sure how, but somehow, a Sumatran Rat Monkey is involved with this. They are grooming him for the premiership, but that is a story for which the world is not yet prepared.