New Zealand Prime Minister John Key believes the 2013 Man Booker Prize winner Eleanor Catton had no more political insight than All Blacks captain Richie McCaw. He hit back at Catton’s criticism claiming that New Zealand is full of “very shallow, very money-hungry politicians who do not care about culture.”

The award-winning author had sparked debate across the country in January for her political views. On Feb. 2, Mr Key said in an interview with morning show Breakfast that he respected Catton as a writer but her comments were not that different from McCaw or any other New Zealander who has no great insight into politics.

Mr Key revealed that the New Zealand author has long been associated with the Greens party. Following her scathing comments on the government, Catton reacted to her critics and said it was part of her job as a writer to have an honest opinion about New Zealand and its government. When Catton was interviewed at the Jaipur literary festival last week, the author said she felt uncomfortable in representing her country when she believes New Zealand is not doing as much as it could especially for the intellectual world.

In a statement posted on her website, Catton wrote that she had been speaking freely to foreign members of the press since her work was first published overseas. Her views about the Key government, anti-intellectualism and neo-liberal values were part of the discussion several times. A talkshow host called Catton a “traitor” to New Zealand while the Taxpayers’ Union claimed she was given NZ$50,000 in funding, Yahoo News reports.

Mr Key told TVNZ that Catton is a “fictional writer” with no particular great political insight. He added that he has read parts of the author’s book “The Luminaries.” He said he was proud of the New Zealand author for her accomplishments. The prime minister said people are entitled to their own opinions but with regards to her opinion on politics, she has no authority.

RELATED STORIES