NZ minister resigns after he 'placed hand' on staff's arm

TDT | Manama
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New Zealand’s Commerce Minister Andrew Bayly has resigned from his ministerial role after admitting to "overbearing" behavior involving a staff member. The incident, which took place last week, involved Bayly placing a hand on the staff member’s upper arm during what he described as an "animated discussion."

Bayly, who announced his resignation on Monday, expressed remorse over his actions. "I am deeply sorry. It was not an argument but an animated discussion, and I took it too far," he said in a statement. Despite stepping down from his ministerial duties, Bayly will continue serving as a Member of Parliament.

Previous Controversy and Political Fallout
Bayly’s resignation follows criticism over a previous incident in October 2023, when he reportedly called a winery worker a "loser" while making an ‘L’ shape with his fingers on his forehead. He also allegedly used an expletive during the exchange and later issued a public apology.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon confirmed that Bayly submitted his resignation last Friday, three days after the incident occurred on February 18. Speaking at a press conference, Luxon defended the government’s handling of the situation. "Resolving this within a week was pretty quick and pretty impressive," he said.

However, opposition leader Chris Hipkins of the Labour Party criticized Luxon for what he called a weak response. "Christopher Luxon has once again set the bar for ministerial behavior so low that it would be almost impossible not to get over it," Hipkins told reporters, arguing that the issue should not have dragged over the weekend.

Bayly said he had taken time to discuss the matter with his family before making a public statement.