John Key has brushed away the idea his ponytail pulling was an abuse of power.

Speaking on TVNZ's Q&A programme, John Key also dismissed the claim made by some people that he is "creepy".

He says there'll always be people who call him names, but there are also a lot of others who know him well.

Mr Key says people know he's a friendly guy who likes to interact with the public and have a bit of a laugh.