Bayly quits cabinet roles

Andrew Bayly faces a long spell on the government’s backbenches after stepping down as Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. 

His departure from cabinet comes after he “placed a hand” on a staff member’s arm during an “animated discussion” on February 18, which he described as “inappropriate”.

The MP for Port Waikato has also relinquished the ACC portfolio, with Scott Simpson, MP for Coromandel, being promoted to take on both cabinet positions previously held by Bayly.

Simpson, current chief whip, says: “I’m excited by the opportunity that Prime Minister [Christopher] Luxon has given me to take on these two new portfolio roles.

“I relish the chance to be a part of the broader coalition team that is working to get New Zealand’s economy growing and thriving again.”

It means the ministerial merry-go-round continues for the automotive industry with Chris Bishop taking over the transport portfolio from Simeon Brown in January when the latter became Minister of Health.

Bayly was overseeing changes to the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act before his departure, which have implications for the finance industry and the motor-vehicle sector.

He had already become a liability for National after having to apologise last year when a complaint was lodged about his behaviour at Marlborough winery. 

It included that he had sworn at, ridiculed and mocked a worker there, including by repeatedly calling the man a “loser” and telling him to “take some wine and f*** off”.

Questions are being raised around the latest debacle because of a nearly three-day delay between Bayly resigning on the evening of February 21 and the decision being made public on the 24th. 

Luxon claims the government has “managed the process incredibly well” and there was an outcome “pretty quick”.

However, Labour leader Chris Hipkins says the PM has set the standard extremely low and initially hid information from Kiwis.

A statement from Bayly on February 24 regarding the incident states he had been “impatient to drive change” in his ministerial portfolios and during an “animated discussion” with a staffer about work “took the discussion too far”.

He says: “I placed a hand on their upper arm, which was inappropriate. I have apologised to the staff member and regret placing them in an uncomfortable position.

“There are times when you have to hold yourself to account. I’ve made the personal choice to resign as a minister and have offered my resignation to the Prime Minister, which he has accepted.”

He later told reporters a complaint had been made, but denied the discussion was an argument or that he had touched the staff member’s arm with force.

Questioned about the delay in the public being informed of his resignation, Bayly says he would have had difficulty speaking to media about it on February 21 and needed time to tell his family.

According to a timeline provided by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the incident occurred on February 18. 

The PMO and Ministerial Services were alerted to the incident the following evening and spent the next two days speaking with those involved ahead of Bayly’s resignation.

Luxon didn’t mention that a minister had stood down when he appeared before reporters on February 22. 

On the afternoon of the 24th, he said he had wanted Bayly to speak to his family and staff before going public.

The PM says Bayly came forward “of his own volition”, admitted he hadn’t met his standards of behaviour and made the “right decision” to resign. Luxon added it had been Bayly’s decision and wouldn’t say whether he would have sacked the minister had he not resigned.

Hipkins says Luxon has set the bar for ministerial behaviour “so low that it would be almost impossible not to get over it” and Bayly should have been fired months ago when it emerged the minister had called the winery worker a “loser”. 

And so, the political merry-go-round continues.