New Zealand Minister of Commerce, Andrew Bayly resigned after “putting a helping hand” on the top of a staff member last week, in what he described as a behavior ” authoritarian”.
Bayly said on Monday that he was “deeply sorry” of the incident, that he described as not an argument but an “animated discussion”.
While Bayly has left his ministerial posts, he remains a member of the Parliament.
His resignation comes after being criticized last October for calling a “loser” worker – in particular by putting his fingers “L” on his forehead – and allegedly used an explanive led to them. He then presented public apology.
“As many of you know, I have been impatient to conduct a change in my ministerial portfolios,” said Bayly in a statement announcing his resignation.
“Last week, I had a lively discussion with a staff member on work. I took the discussion too far, and I placed a hand on the upper arm, which was inappropriate.”
Bayly resigned last Friday, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said at a press conference, adding that the incident occurred three days earlier on February 18.
Luxon said on Monday that the government managing the problem in a week was “fairly fast” and “quite impressive”. He denied that he should have asked Bayly to resign after the October cellar incident and said “never say” when asked if there was a way to come back for the 63 -year -old man in another cabinet position.
However, the head of labor Chris Hipkins criticized Luxon as “incredibly weak”, saying that the incident with the staff member should not have been dragged this weekend.
“Christopher Luxon has once again set the bar for a ministerial behavior so low that it would be almost impossible not to rely,” he told journalists on Monday.
Bayly himself said he had to speak to his family and “had trouble” talking to the media earlier.
He was elected for the first time in the New Zealand Parliament in 2014 As a deputy for the current national party. He was appointed Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Minister of Small Businesses and Manufacturing and Minister of Statistics following the Luxon election at the end of 2023.
He was also appointed Minister of ACC – the National Program for the Compensation for Accidental injuries – following a reshuffle of the cabinet earlier this year. Before joining politics, Bayly worked in the financial industry.
Luxon said Scott Simpson, the main whip of National, would take control of ACC and Commerce and Consumer Affairs portfolios.
Bayly is the Prime Minister to resign from his own goalkeeper under Prime Minister Luxon, whose favorite has dropped considerably, according to recent polls. The 1News-Verian survey and the post / fresh water strategy survey show that its national coalition government loses its support for voters.
The government has recently been criticized for certain policies which have been considered by some as anti -Māori, including the introduction of a bill that many have supported Maori rights and the dissolution of the Maori – Health Authority – which was created under the last Labor government to try to create greater equal health.
