'I've gone too far': New Zealand minister resigns

New Zealand Trade Minister Andrew Bayly has resigned from his position. The decision is related to an incident in which Bayly "put his hand" on an employee's shoulder, which was perceived as "bossy" behavior, BBC News reports. The minister said he was "deeply saddened" and called the argument with the subordinate a "lively discussion." "I went too far. It was inappropriate," he said.

"As many of you know, I have been looking forward to implementing changes to my ministry," Andrew Bayly said in a statement announcing his resignation as New Zealand's Trade Minister .

The decision - as BBC News recalls - comes after Bayly was criticized in October 2024 for calling a winery employee a "loser" - including placing his fingers in the shape of the letter "L" and raising them to his forehead (which is considered a humiliating gesture). The politician also used vulgar language towards the employee. He later issued an apology.

"Last week I had a heated discussion with a staff member about work. I went too far and put my hand on his arm which was inappropriate," Bayly said in a statement.

He added that a complaint had been filed in connection with the case but did not provide details about what happened.

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Bayly resigned from his position on Friday, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said, while the incident in question occurred three days earlier, on February 18.

The New Zealand Prime Minister denied he should have demanded Bayly resign following the October vineyard incident and said "never say never" when asked if the politician was likely to return to another Cabinet post.

Bayly is still an MP for the current ruling National Party . He is to be replaced by Scott Simpson .

Opposition Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins criticised Luxon's government, calling it "extremely weak" , while adding that the matter should have been resolved more quickly.

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"Christopher Luxon has once again set the bar for ministerial conduct so low that it is almost impossible not to exceed it," Hipkins said on Monday.

Andrew Bayly has been a member of the New Zealand parliament since 2014, and has been a member of the current ruling National Party since its inception. He was appointed a minister in late 2023, following Luxon's election as prime minister. Before entering politics, he worked in the financial industry.

Bayly is the first minister to resign from Prime Minister Luxon's cabinet "of his own free will". According to the latest polls, the coalition government of the National Party, New Zealand First and ACT Party is losing support to voters - BBC News reports.