It's the way he tells them

In a speech to the small-business conference at Massey University yesterday Mr Williamson suggested the opposition to foreign ownership was often linked to the ethnicity of the foreigner.

But Mr Key, who has voiced concerns about foreign ownership and said he did not want New Zealanders to become tenants in their own country, said Mr Williamson was probably being flippant.

"Maurice is known for his strong sense of humour and I think it was on display yesterday," he told media in Auckland today.

Gentle readers are invited to enter the Fundy Post's Spot the Punchline and Win an iPod competition. If you can sense the strong sense of humour or feel the flippancy, send a brief description or an artist's impression to the usual address.