It's Dotcom versus Key - the showdown.
At issue is whether the Prime Minister knew about Kim Dotcom before the raid on his Coatesville mansion in February last year.
John Key has always denied it, but Mr Dotcom says he has evidence to prove it.
A 3 News Reid Research poll asked the public who they believe; 52 percent said they believe Dotcom, while 34 percent believe Mr Key. The rest said they didn't know or care.
"Any number of surveys taken during the year will show you that the public are quite sceptical about what politicians actually say, and I suspect there's a bit of that built into those poll numbers," Mr Key said.
"Truthfully, Kim Dotcom's been making these kinds of comments for 18 months and has never actually managed to produce a shred of evidence. He comes up with a lot of conspiracies, but nothing that actually proves that he's right because he's not right."
Dotcom had motivation to "string this thing out as long as he possibly can", Mr Key said.
"At the end of the day, he's facing an extradition trial and he's trying to politicise that process.
"In the end, he's trying to make sure he takes as long as he possibly can before he ends up in the United States."
In response to the poll, Dotcom said the result "put a smile on my face".
"The Prime Minister's subservient relationship with the United States, his ongoing brain fades, the new spy laws that are incompatible with our democracy, plus the ongoing political persecution against me, my family and friends might have contributed to this poll result. The truth will come out."
Dotcom will attend an anti-spy law rally in Auckland tonight and he says he will produce the evidence at his extradition hearing next year.
So the public has sided with Dotcom, but it won't be decided until he fronts up with the evidence. He's clearly waiting until election year. Then everyone can judge who wins.
3 News
source: newshub archive
