Kerre Woodham: Andrew Bayly had to go, and he has

Yesterday Andrew Bayly, the former Commerce and ACC Minister, revealed he had resigned from his ministerial portfolios on Friday night after grabbing a staffers upper arm during a discussion that’s been described as “lively”. It comes after a messy public relations failure in October, when it was revealed Bayly had repeatedly called a worker a loser during a visit to a South Island business. He apologised and kept the job, but this was one step too far. The Prime Minister told Mike Hosking he relied on Andrew Bayly to do the right thing, and he did: 

“Look, honestly, he was doing a very good job making good contributions in two very technical portfolios. I'm sure Scott Simpson will carry that on. But look, the reality is you've got to have some standards, Mike. And you know, I watched the last lot go through a series of Ministers and it wasn't either clear... It was clear in this case and, and importantly, he recognised that he had met his own standards and that's his decision, so I respect that.” 

There's a lot of people complaining that Andrew Bailey shouldn't have had to go, shouldn't have felt that he had to go, but I can't imagine a situation where I would be touched by my boss during a lively discussion – and we have plenty of them. I cannot imagine him grabbing my arm and saying listen, you're wrong. We have very lively discussions with lots of argy bargy and neither of us hold back, none of us within the conversation hold back. I just can't imagine a situation where I would be held by the arm as a way of stressing the importance of the point that I was making. If my boss ever did, I can't imagine calling for his head. I’d say ‘get your bloody hands off me’ or something like that. But if the employee didn't like Bayly and found them difficult to work with, then the former minister gave him an absolute sitter of an opportunity to get rid of him.  

So Bayly’s gone from cabinet, but not from his electoral seat. The leader of the opposition is crowing. Chris Hipkins has accused the Pime Minister of handling the situation poorly, sitting on the information for two days before doing anything about it. Then, having Andrew Bayly himself resigned, not telling the public about it for several more days, then sneaking out before jumping on a plane to escape overseas. Chris Hipkins own words. He added “I think people will see that for what it is”. Nicola Willis, on the other hand, says it's about showing humanity, allowing Bayly to tell his family and come to terms with his professional demise before it became the public fodder it has become.  

Look, it's just politics. National certainly uses the departure of successive Labour ministers to point to Labour's lack of credentials to govern. There were a lot of them. Iain Lees-Galloway and on we went. Stuart Nash, Meka Whaitiri resigned to go to Te Pati Māori, Kiri Allan – there were a lot of ministers whose careers ended up being in the toilet. So what's good for the goose is good for the gander and all that. If National can make hay whilst in opposition as Labour ministers came and went, then when they're in opposition, they can do the same when National ministers are doing much the same.   

I really think the hoo-ha about a couple of days is neither here nor there. I don't know what the fuss is about that. Darleen Tana was suspended from Parliament on the 14th of March. She was finally got rid of on the 22nd of October, all while drawing her parliamentary salary. Two or three days I can live with, but Andrew Bayly, I'm sorry, did have to go. Parliament has had a history of being a toxic workplace and you can't have a minister being a part of that if you want to change the culture. For those complaining it's a sign of wokeness and an overreaction, really? I don't recall anybody saying that when Labour ministers were in strife. And I really don't think laying hands on staffers is c

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Kerrywood and Mornings podcast from News Talks.
He'd be.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
So. Yesterday, Andrew Bailey, the former Commerce and acc Minister,
revealed he had resigned from his ministerial portfolios on Friday
night after grabbing a staff as upper arm during a
discussion that's being described as lively earlier in the week.
It comes after a messy public relations failure in October,

(00:33):
when it was revealed Bailey had repeatedly called a worker
a loser during a visit to a South Island business.
He apologized for that and kept his job, but this
was one step too far. The Prime Minister told Mike
Hoskin he relied on Andrew Bailey to do the right
thing and he did.

Speaker 3 (00:52):
Look, honestly, he was doing a very good job, making
good contributions in two very technical portfolios. I'm sure Scot
Someson will carry that on. But look, the reality is
you've got to have some standards, Mike, and you know,
I watched the last lot go through a series of
ministers and it wasn't either clear. It was clear in
this case, and importantly he recognized that he hadn't met
his own standards, and that's his decision. So I respect

(01:15):
that that.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
Was the Prime Minister talking to my costking before it
all went Pete tong and there would you have told
him to resign and no, on and on that went.
But nonetheless it was a lucid clip out of the
interview with Mike this morning. There's a lot of people
complaining that Andrew Balley shouldn't have had to go, shouldn't
have felt that he had to go. But I can't

(01:38):
imagine a situation where I would be touched by my
boss during a lively discussion, and we have plenty of them.
I cannot imagine him grabbing my arm and saying, listen,
you know, well whatever it was, no, you're wrong, or
you know we have very lively discussions. Were lots of
Arji Bajie and you know they neither of us hold back, well,

(02:02):
none of us within the conversation hall back. But I
just can't imagine this situation where I would be held
by the arm and as a way of stressing the
importance of the point that I was making. If my
boss ever did, I can't imagine calling for his head
if they get your bloody hands off me or something.

(02:25):
But if the employee didn't like Bailey and found him
difficult to work with. Then the former minister gave him
an absolute sitter of an opportunity to get rid of him.
So Bailey's gone from cabinet, but not from his electoral seat.
The leader of the opposition is crowing. Chris Hipkins has
accused the PM of handling the situation poorly, sitting on

(02:46):
the information for two days before doing anything about it,
then having Andrew Bailey himself resign, then not telling the
public about it for several more days, then sneaking out
before jumping on a plane to escape overseas. Chris Hipkins's
own words, he added, I think people will see that
for what it is. Nikola Willis, on the other hand,

(03:09):
says it's about showing humanity, allowing Bailey to tell his
family and come to terms with his professional demise before
it became the public fodder it has become. Look, it's
just politics. Nationals certainly used the departure of successive Labor
ministers to point to Labour's a lack of credentials to govern.

(03:30):
They there were a lot of them, Ian Lee's Galloway
and on we went. Stuart Nash mcfarteri resigned to go
to the tapatimari. But Kitty Allen, there were a lot
of ministers that end whose careers ended up being in

(03:52):
the toilet. So what's good for the goose is good
for the gander and all that. You know, if national
can make hay whilst in opposition, as Labor ministers came
and went, when when they're in opposition they can do
the same when National ministers are doing much the same.
I really think the whoha about a couple of days

(04:14):
is neither here nor there. I don't know what the
fusses about that. Darling Tana was suspended from Parliament on
the fourteenth of March. She was finally got rid of
on the twenty second of October, all while drawing her
parliamentary salary. Two days. I can live with, not three days.

(04:34):
But Andrew Bailey, I'm sorry did have to go. Parliament
has had a history of being a toxic workplace and
you can't have a minister being a part of that
if you want to change the culture. For those complaining,
it's a sign of wokeness and and overreaction. Really, I
don't recall anybody saying that when labor ministers were in strife,
and I really don't think laying hands on staffers is

(04:57):
considered acceptable business practice in this day and age. He
had to go and he has end of story.

Speaker 1 (05:06):
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