Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Labour leader Chris Hipkins speaking on complaints made about Small Business Minister Andrew Bayly. Video / Mark Mitchell
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says he will look into how a complainant’s email claiming minister Andrew Bayly swore at, ridiculed and mocked him was seemingly moved into spam folders after it had been read by recipients, including Opposition politicians.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins has called on the Speaker of the House to investigate, while also urging Luxon to punish Bayly by demoting him instead of what Hipkins believed to be a “slap over the wrist with a wet bus ticket”.
Listen live: PM Christopher Luxon talks to Mike Hosking at 7.35am
It claimed Bayly, who holds several ministerial portfolios, hassled the man for working late, telling him to “take some wine ... and f*** off” and repetitively calling the man a “loser”.
The complainant, who also alleged Bayly seemed as if he’d been drinking, said the interaction left him feeling “degraded, embarrassed and deeply disrespected”. Bayly denied he was drunk and also didn’t recall swearing.
However, Bayly issued an apology, saying he had thought the comments were made in a “light-hearted manner”.
Minister Andrew Bayly apologised last week following the release of the complaint. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Luxon on Friday said he still had confidence in Bayly and didn’t strip him of his portfolios, but did say the actions were not acceptable and couldn’t be repeated.
Fronting his post-Cabinet press conference today, Luxon reiterated how Bayly had apologised “as fulsomely as he possibly can” and was “mortified” by the offence taken.
While the incident happened early this month, Luxon wasn’t made aware of it until Thursday. Luxon claimed that was because Bayly had thought the matter was resolved after he twice wrote to the complainant to apologise.
However, the complainant proceeded to email his concerns to several recipients last week, including Opposition MPs, which prompted Luxon to act.
It was understood those in Labour who received the complainant’s email read it but later found it had somehow been marked as spam.
Asked about this, Luxon said it was the first time he’d heard about it. He maintained his staff wouldn’t have been involved and promised to look into it.
Hipkins, speaking shortly after Luxon, said the email had been sent to Labour deputy leader Carmel Sepuloni, at which point it was read by a staff member, who flagged it in Sepuloni’s inbox to read, but it later disappeared.
The staffer then contacted Parliament’s IT department and was told it had been withdrawn because the department had marked it as spam.
“Subsequently, it has been reinstated so we were then able to see the email today but I have contacted the Speaker [Gerry Brownlee] because ultimately it draws into question exactly how an email can be received and withdrawn again,” Hipkins said.
”I have asked him to look at how exactly that happened because it does seem somewhat strange that an email could be received, read and then disappeared from somebody’s inbox.”
On Bayly, Hipkins believed he deserved some form of sanction, such as losing his portfolios, as the minister had “well and truly overstepped the mark”.
“The Prime Minister says that Andrew Bayly’s apology is genuine, I don’t think Andrew Bayly’s actions have indicated that.
”A demotion would certainly be in order. There should be some consequence for his actions, there does not seem to be any consequence besides a slap over the wrist with a wet bus ticket.”
Transport Minister Simeon Brown (left) and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, before speaking to media at the post-Cabinet press conference at Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Work begins on upgrading Napier-Hastings link
Also during his post-Cabinet press conference, Luxon and Transport Minister Simeon Brown heralded the inception of work on the first of the Government’s Roads of National Significance (Rons) – the Hawke’s Bay Expressway.
“Four-laning the Hawke’s Bay Expressway will unleash national and regional economic growth and productivity by reducing travel times, increasing resilience and improving safety for motorists.
“Early works have now started on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway Rons to four-lane this critical corridor that carries 29,000 vehicles a day and links freight to one of New Zealand’s largest ports.”
He said growing population and the economy meant the central section of this road was reaching capacity at peak times.
“Starting work now allows the NZTA [NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi] to maximise the 2025/2026 construction season and bring forward the construction of this project by 12 to 15 months.”
Brown said: “NZTA is prioritising the Taradale Road to Pākowhai Road section of the Hawke’s Bay Expressway as it is the most congested part of the road, and will help ensure more reliable journey times for commuters and freight operators in the Bay.”
Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism.
