Former commerce minister Andrew Bayly says he was forced to resign as a minister on the basis of “false” claims from officials.
Bayly decided not to stand for re-election, after serving 12 years as a National Party MP. He delivered his valedictory statement in the House on Wednesday evening.
During the speech, he pitched reform of superannuation - saying New Zealand could not afford to continue paying everyone aged 65 years old or older. In a research paper he published this week with former staffer Leonard Hong, they said the cost of pensions would soon consume 80% of the tax take. They suggested raising the age of eligibility by one month every year.
Bayly also delivered heartfelt thanks to his staff members who’d stood by him, and his wife, Tina, who he apologised to for the stress his job had put on her. There was one night, he recalled, where he called her to say he’d received a death threat that also named her and their three children. Her voice trembled, he said, and he felt guilt for how his public profile had impacted her.
“I am deeply sorry that my public life brought that into yours,” he said.
He also recalled the stress that impacted him and his family when his ministerial career was ending. Shortly after being told a complaint had been made about him, Bayly said he told his wife, on a flight, “I may have to resign.”
“She did not say anything, she simply turned away from me, towards the window, and began to cry. Tina doesn’t cry easily. That’s when I understood...
Former commerce minister Andrew Bayly says he was forced to resign as a minister on the basis of “false” claims from officials. Bayly decided not to stand for re-election, after serving 12 years as...