Christopher Luxon: Prime Minister talkings gang charges, Andrew Bayly's resignation, and a new oil refinery

The Prime Minister says Andrew Bayly's good work can't compensate for bad behaviour.  

The Port Waikato MP has resigned from cabinet after touching a staffer's arm during a lively conversation.  

It follows an earlier incident in which he called a winery worker a loser.  

Christopher Luxon told Mike Hosking the good work that Bayly was doing doesn't excuse it.  

He says it's important to have standards and Bayly has realised he didn't meet his own expectations. 

Luxon would not be drawn on whether he would have sacked Bayly had he not resigned. He repeatedly said Bayly had not met his expectations. 

“The standards are really clear of my ministers. In this case, I laid down, after the last [loser] case, crystal-clear expectations."

Pushed on whether his answers were indecisive, Luxon said he was decisive. 

He then said he would have demoted Bayly and taken his ministry away from him had Bayly not resigned. 

On the Chinese navy, Luxon said it has got “much more benign, much more competitive in the Pacific”. 

He said it was normal for airlines to divert flights. “We’re relaxed with what’s happening in the sense of it’s legal, but we want to make sure we get a bit more advanced notice.” 

On the Cook Islands, Luxon said he was incredibly frustrated with Prime Minister Mark Brown and the government. 

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