A touch on the arm leads to the resignation of a minister from his position.

The Minister of Commerce in the New Zealand government, Andrew Bailey, announced his resignation from his position today, Monday, after grabbing the arm of a staff member during a heated discussion.

Bailey described his behavior towards the staff member as "arrogant," without specifying whether the person mentioned was a man or a woman.

"I deeply regret this matter... I crossed the line by putting my hand on his arm, which was inappropriate," he said.

The minister mentioned that a complaint was filed against him regarding his behavior during the incident that occurred last week, without providing further details.

This is the second time Bailey has apologized for his ministerial behavior after misconduct attributed to him during his visit to a New Zealand company last October.

At that time, a worker wrote a message stating that the minister was drunk and repeatedly described him as a "failure."

Andrew Bailey apologized, saying he "misinterpreted the moment" and made his comments "flippantly," but denied that his behavior was due to intoxication.

Despite resigning from his ministerial position, Bailey stated that he will remain a member of parliament and looks forward to serving his electorate.

It is worth noting that the resignation comes at a time when opinion polls show a decline in the popularity of the Conservative government led by Prime Minister Christopher Laxon, who has been in power since November 2023, amid rising living costs.