New Zealand’s commerce minister Andrew Bayly has stepped down from his position in the government after he “placed a hand” on a staff member’s upper arm last week, which he characterized as “overbearing” behavior.
On Monday, Bayly expressed that he was “deeply sorry” for the incident, describing the encounter not as an argument but rather as an “animated discussion.” He will continue to serve as a member of parliament.
His resignation follows criticism from last October when he referred to a winery employee as a “loser,” even making an ‘L’ shape with his fingers on his forehead, and allegedly using a profanity towards them. He subsequently offered a public apology.
“As many of you are aware, I’ve been eager to implement changes in my ministerial roles,” Bayly stated in a press release announcing his resignation. “Last week, I had an animated discussion with a staff member regarding work. I took it too far by placing a hand on their upper arm, which was inappropriate.”
He mentioned that a complaint had been filed but chose not to provide further details about the incident.
Bayly’s resignation occurred last Friday, as confirmed by New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon during a press conference, who noted that the incident took place three days earlier on February 18.
Luxon remarked on Monday that the government’s response to the issue within a week was “pretty quick” and “pretty impressive.” He rejected claims that he should have urged Bayly to resign after the winery incident in October and stated “never say never” when questioned about the possibility of the 63-year-old returning to a cabinet position.
In contrast, Labour leader Chris Hipkins condemned Luxon for being “incredibly weak,” asserting that the staff incident should not have continued into the weekend. “Christopher Luxon has once again lowered the expectations for ministerial conduct to such an extent that it would be nearly impossible not to meet them,” he told reporters on Monday.
Bayly himself commented that he needed to consult with his family and “would have struggled” to address the media earlier.
Elected to the New Zealand Parliament for the first time in 2014 as a member of the current ruling National Party, he was appointed as Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing, and Minister of Statistics after Luxon’s election in late 2023.
Additionally, he was designated as the minister for ACC – the national accidental injury compensation scheme – following an earlier cabinet reshuffle this year. Prior to his political career, Bayly was employed in the finance sector.
Luxon announced that Scott Simpson, the National Party’s senior whip, would assume responsibility for the ACC and Commerce and Consumer Affairs portfolios.
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Bayly is the first minister to resign voluntarily under PM Luxon, whose approval ratings have significantly declined according to recent surveys. Both the 1News-Verian poll and the Post/Freshwater Strategy poll indicate that his National-led coalition government is losing ground with voters.
The government has recently faced criticism for certain policies perceived by some as anti-Māori, including the proposal of a bill that many believe undermined Māori rights and the disbanding of the Māori Health Authority, which was established under the previous Labour government to promote greater health equity.
