A New Zealand government minister said Monday that he resigned from his position for putting his hand on the top of a staff member during a “animated” discussion.
The Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs of the country, Andrew Bayly, told journalists that his behavior towards the staff member had been “dominant.”
“That’s why I feel deeply,” he said.
“I brought the discussion too far, and put a hand on the top of the arm, which was inappropriate.”
He had filed a complaint about his behavior in the incident last week, said the minister, who refused to give more details.
It is the second apology that Bayly has offered for his ministerial behavior after his visit to a New Zealand business last October became sour.
A worker wrote a complaint letter at the time he said that the minister seemed to have been drinking, swore and called him “loser” repeatedly, even forming an “L” with his fingers on his forehead.
Bayly sent two apologies in response, saying that “he read the moment badly” and referred to his comments in a “cheerful way.”
He assured the worker: “I was not intoxicated when we met.”
Despite giving up as a minister for his last meeting, Bayly said he would continue to be a member of Parliament and hoped to serve his electorate.
The resignation occurs when the conservative government of Prime Minister Luxon, who assumed the position in November 2023, sinks into surveys with voters hit by the growing cost of living.
Luxon said that the arm management incident occurred on February 18 and that he had accepted Bayly’s resignation on Friday, delaying the announcement to give the minister time to talk to his family and personnel.
“I think it has been quite fast to move as fast as we within the week. It’s quite impressive,” he told reporters.
New Zealand leader said Bayly told him that he felt that his actions “did not achieve the expectations established for himself.”
Luxon said he appreciated that Bayly wanted to continue being a legislator and thanked him for doing an “exceptional work” as a minister.
When asked if Bayly could one day return to a ministerial position, he told reporters: “Never say.”
Bayly was replaced as Minister of Commerce by Scott Simpson, who had been the major whip responsible for the discipline of the party in Parliament.
