New Zealand's National Party leader and Prime Minister-elect John Key celebrates a landslide victory at the National election party during New Zealand's general election in Auckland September 20, 2014.
New Zealand's National Party leader and Prime Minister-elect John Key celebrates a landslide victory at the National election party during New Zealand's general election in Auckland September 20, 2014. Reuters/Nigel Marple

The Prime Minister of New Zealand would like everyone to know that he doesn’t dye his hair. John Key has refuted New Zealand First leader Winston Peters’ claim that the PM colours his greying hair, and even has appeared aghast at the other man’s suggestion that he has seen his “carpet.”

“We don’t dye our hair on this side and we’re not losing it,” Peters said on Tuesday at the Parliament’s opening during the debate on Mr Key’s statement. He did not name then who he was referring to, but later on, he confirmed to reporters that he was indeed talking about the PM’s alleged penchant for hair dyes.

“You know he does,” he insisted. “We all know that.”

But Mr Key wouldn’t let the rival political party leader utter nonsense about his crowning glory. He proclaimed his thinning mane remains untouched by artificial colouring.

Peters apparently took offence at Mr Key’s comments about his age. “Mr Key has been taking to telling some of your colleagues about the question of age,” he told reporters. “And I said well frankly if I happened to dye my hair whilst I’m losing it, I’d leave out of the question of age.”

On Wednesday, the debate over whether the country’s top leader has been dyeing his hair has still not subsided. The two men still wouldn’t let go of it and have even turned it into a hilarious discussion about drapes and carpets.

“There’s no dye in these locks, baby,” the PM cheekily replied to Peters when asked if he stood by his earlier comment about not colouring his hair. “Then how come the curtains don't match the carpet?” Peters countered, perhaps not realising that carpet is a euphemism for another body part hair. The whole floor then erupted in laughter at the question.

“I take offence that the member is telling New Zealand he has seen my carpet!” a giggling Mr Key objected. Peters clarified that he just meant the PM’s sideburns, which are white compared to the rest of his darker hair.

Dyeing one’s hair is apparently a big issue in the Parliament. In 2011, the then-Labour leader Phil Goff returned from holiday in January with visibly darker hair. His new hair was said to have overshadowed his State of the Nation speech. Mr Key also denied dyeing his hair at that time, saying that it was falling out but not changing colour.