Stuart Nash's day was supposed to be a lovely one, starting off with an announcement of five scholarships for Kiwi students to take on NASA internships.
The first sign his day might have been going awry was the steady trickle of the parliamentary press gallery to the announcement, in the Beehive Theatrette.
Police Minister and MP for Napier, Nash had just got off the phone with Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking, where he had - incredibly - boasted about talking to the Police Commissioner Andrew Coster to ask if he was going to appeal a court decision.
That is - to be clear - not the done thing, because ministerial influence over police operational matters is the first step on the long road to a police state. There must be a separation of powers, both real and perceived. It's one of the fragile and precious threads upholding democracy.
That's why it's codified - the Cabinet Manual is painfully, explicitly clear:
"Ministers do not comment on or involve themselves in the investigation of offences or the decision as to whether a person should be prosecuted, or on what charge. Similarly, they should not comment on the results of particular cases, on matters that are subject to suppression orders, or on any sentence handed down by a court."
Further, the Police Act states:
"The [Police] Commissioner is not responsible to, and must act independently of, any Minister of the Crown (including any person acting on the instruction of a Minister of the Crown) regarding... the investigation and prosecution of offences."
Upholding another vital part of democracy - holding the Government to account as the Opposition - Act Party leader David Seymour fired out a press release, having listened to the interview.
He told 1News he'd listened and "choked on [his] cornflakes".
The press release questioned whether the Police Minister should resign. Napier, we have a problem.
Met with a press pack, Nash seemed genuinely blindsided by reporters' questioning.
Asked if he would resign, he asked why he would because it was such a positive announcement - appearing to believe the transgression was somehow related to space internships.
He was defiant in his comments to reporters. "Hell no" had he interfered in police cases. He reiterated that he thought the court decision in question was "a very bad" one.
"I stand by my criticism of that case."
He said he was "chewing the fat" with a "mate" - Coster. Yikes.
He was not Police Minister at the time, he said, as though that made a difference. It does not.
By the time Nash slipped into a celebratory function for his young NASA cadets, he could have been under no illusion his day had just got a lot more complicated.
It wasn't even lunchtime.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins' day was made worse too. Coming off the back of a great 1News Kantar Public poll for Labour, Hipkins would have hoped he could continue rehabilitating the Government's image in the eyes of the public - and especially the soft centre-right voters Hipkins appears intent on courting back into the Labour fold.
Looking tough on crime on Newstalk ZB was likely the goal for Nash. On paper, it's a great idea - go to those voters where they are and make the case, dispel any attack lines from Act and National about Labour being soft on crime and you're home free. But Nash got carried away and didn't even seem to realise what he'd done wrong.
Nash has been an MP for 15 years this year and a minister since 2017. He knows better and if he doesn't, he should.
Ironically perhaps, he did give the Government an opportunity to look tough - but instead it was on him. By 2pm, Hipkins announced Nash had tendered his resignation as Police Minister and Hipkins had accepted.
It was the right thing to do. It was decisive and showed Hipkins, at least, understands the rules. It's possible under a different prime minister, Nash may have survived. But his subsequent comments to reporters, standing by his previous comments, only added rocket fuel to the fire.
The Act and National parties are now calling for Nash to resign from all of his ministerial portfolios - he also holds Economic Development, Forestry, and Ocean and Fisheries.
Whether or not that is reasonable warrants thrashing out, and both Nash and Hipkins need to present a rationale for why he should remain in those roles.
Nash will likely never be Police Minister ever again, which will be a major disappointment to him. It also makes Labour's senior front bench all the thinner - and Hipkins needed competent, knowledgeable and experienced ministers.
Nash's career is not unsalvagable - provided he never spaces out on the radio again.
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