Stuart Nash

New Zealand Parliament

The Honourable Stuart Nash
Stuart Nash in 2023
9th Minister for Economic Development
In office 1 February 2023 –28 March 2023
Years	Term	Electorate	List	Party
2008 –2011	49th	List	36		Labour
2014 –2017	51st	Napier	none		Labour
2017 –2020	52nd	Napier	11		Labour
2020 –2023	53rd	Napier	12		Labour

Early political career

In 2005 Nash was the Labour candidate for the safe National seat of Epsom, placing third behind Rodney Hide and Richard Worth; having been directed by then-Prime Minister Helen Clark to ask Labour supporters to vote for the National candidate, Richard Worth, in a strategy designed to defeat ACT MP, Rodney Hide. The tactic didn't work, with Hide winning; though at 9,915 Labour received the highest number of party votes in this electorate at any time under the MMP parliamentary system. ^[3] Placed at number 60 on the party list, Nash failed to get elected. ^[4]

Election to Parliament on the list

In 2007 Nash contested the Labour Party selection for the Napier seat in the 2008 general election, but lost to Russell Fairbrother, a list MP and the former Napier electorate MP. ^[5] However Nash was ranked at number 36 on the party list and was subsequently elected to parliament. ^[6]

After becoming a list MP Nash was appointed Labour's spokesperson for Revenue, and associate spokesperson for Trade and Forestry by Labour leader Phil Goff. ^[7] On 15 June 2010, Opposition Leader Phil Goff appointed Nash to be portfolio spokesperson for Forestry, a position formerly held by Mita Ririnui. In February 2011 Phil Goff announced his new caucus line up and Nash was ranked 27th, retaining all his portfolio responsibilities. ^[8]

2011–2014

Nash and Phil Goff addressing community groups in 2011

In the 2011 general election, Nash contested the Napier electorate seat held by National Cabinet Minister Chris Tremain. Nash reduced Tremain's 2008 majority of 9,018 votes by 5,300 votes (the highest reduction achieved against a sitting National electorate MP) but still came second. As well, Nash was ranked 27 on the Labour list, higher than in 2008 but not high enough on the Labour list to return to Parliament as a List MP. ^[9]

After leaving Parliament, Nash signed on as the chief-of-staff for newly appointed party leader David Shearer. However, Nash resigned after just four months into the job and returned to his home town of Napier, citing the birth of his new child and focusing on winning back the electorate there. ^[10]

2014–current: return to Parliament

In February 2014, Nash was selected as Labour's candidate for Napier to contest the 2014 general election. ^[11] National's Tremain had retired and was succeeded by Wayne Walford, and Nash had a majority of 3,850 votes over Walford. ^[12] The electorate was also contested by Garth McVicar for the Conservative Party, and McVicar's 7,603 votes cut into traditional National Party votes. ^{[12] [13] [14]}

Nash retained the Napier electorate in 2017, increasing his majority and becoming only the second Labour MP after Damien O'Connor to win and hold a seat off the National party this century. ^[15] Nash was elected as a Cabinet Minister by the Labour Party caucus following Labour's formation of a coalition government with New Zealand First and the Greens. ^[16] On 26 October, he was appointed as Minister of Police, Revenue, Small Business and Fisheries. ^[17]

During the 2020 general election, Nash retained his seat in Napier by a final margin of 5,856. ^[18] On 2 November 2020, Jacinda Ardern announced that Nash would be dropping the Police, Revenue and Fisheries portfolios, and would pick up the Economic and Regional Development, Forestry, and Tourism portfolios, while retaining Small Business. ^[19]

In mid November 2021, Nash claimed that farming advocacy group Groundswell NZ's website promoted racism and vaccine hesitancy in response to a question by ACT Member of Parliament Mark Cameron. When Cameron reiterated his question, Nash told Cameron to avoid posing with someone holding an anti-vaccination sign at a Groundswell protest. In response to Stuart's remarks, Groundswell co-founder Bryce McKenzie emphasised the group's efforts to combat racism and vaccine hesitancy among its ranks. McKenzie added that the group had accepted the resignation of Groundswell member and Tatua Dairy board of directors member Ross Townshend for posting an offensive image depicting Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta as a gang member. ^[20]

2023 ministerial indiscretions and resignation

In mid–March 2023, Nash resigned as Minister of Police following revelations he asked the Police Commissioner Andrew Coster to appeal a decision Nash felt was too light, a breach of the expectation that the Government remains neutral in regards to operational Police matters. ^[21] On 16 March, Nash faced further calls from the opposition National and ACT parties to resign from his remaining portfolios after revelations that the Attorney-General David Parker had reprimanded Nash for making remarks during a 2020 Newstalk ZB interview calling for murder suspect Eli Epiha to be imprisoned for his actions during the murder of Matthew Hunt. At the time, Epiha was facing trial and had not yet been convicted for murdering Hunt. ^[22] Nash subsequently admitted to a third incident of misconduct where he contacted the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) to advocate for a migrant health professional in Napier in September 2022. In response, Hipkins demoted Nash to the bottom of the Cabinet rankings as a "final warning" but declined to strip him of his remaining cabinet portfolios. ^[23]

On 28 March it was revealed that in 2020 Nash emailed two of his donors, who were commercial property owners, about a commercial rent relief policy Cabinet was discussing. ^[24] The Cabinet Manual, part of New Zealand's unwritten constitution, ^[25] sets out that "discussion at Cabinet and Cabinet committee meetings is informal and confidential", and that any proposals “likely to be considered at forthcoming meetings, outside Cabinet-approved consultation procedures” are not allowed to be disclosed. In the email, Nash expressed his view that "I am as annoyed (and surprised) about the final outcome of the ‘commercial rent relief package’ as you are". ^[26] Prime Minister Chris Hipkins advised the Governor General to strip Nash of his ministerial portfolios the same day. ^[27]

On 3 April, Nash announced that he would not be contesting the 2023 New Zealand general election. In a statement published on Facebook, he stated while his work as a minister in the Ardern Cabinet "has been rewarding, and both intellectually and professionally stimulating, it has also been incredibly taxing on relationships with family and friends." Prior to Nash's announcement, Hipkins had asked the Cabinet Secretary to conduct a review into communications between Nash and his donors in order to identify further breaches of Cabinet confidentiality and both perceived or real conflicts of interest. ^{[28] [29]} Despite his dismissal, on 26 April 2023 Nash was granted the use of the prefix "The Honourable" for life, in recognition of his term as a Member of the Executive Council. ^[30]

On 16 June, a Cabinet Office report cleared Nash of confidentiality breaches but identified a conflict of interest in the government appointment of a donor and high school friend Phil McCaw, who had donated the sum of NZ$6500 to Nash's 2020 election campaign. While Nash had managed McCaw's conflict of interest by getting another minister to appoint McCaw but failed in the continual management of the problem. ^[31] Newshub reported that the Cabinet office had examined five years worth of Nash's communications and that a senior minister had disputed the inclusion of McCaw's appointment within the probe. ^[32] On 19 June, the Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier found that Nash had breached Official Information Act by improperly withholding emails in which he discussed confidential Cabinet briefings with two donors, Troy Bowker and Greg Loveridge, during the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2020. ^[33]

Post-politics

In late February 2024, Nash criticised his former Labour Party colleagues's legislation targeting gang assets, claiming that it did not go far enough. In March 2023, the Labour government had passed the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2023, which allowed Police to seize gang leaders' properties, cars, bikes and bling valued at NZ$30,000 or above in compliance with the New Zealand Bill of Rights. Nash argued that there should be no limit on the amount of gang assets seized. Nash claimed that former Justice Minister Kiri Allan had blocked efforts to introduce tougher anti-gang legislation on the grounds that it targeted Māori people. Nash pressed for the National-led coalition government to do away with the $30,000 limit on the seizure of gang assets. ^[34] In response, Labour MP Willie Jackson accused Nash of grandstanding, "lacking class" and pitching for contracts around Wellington. ^[35]

Personal life

Stuart Nash is married to Sarah Nash. In March 2024, the couple purchased the former Napier courthouse with the intention of renovating it into their family home and Airbnb accommodation. Built in 1875, the former courthouse building survived the 1935 Napier earthquake. For the past 35 years, it served as the local Department of Conservation office. The courthouse was vested in the Mana Ahuriri Trust as part of a Treaty of Waitangi settlement. The trust decided to sell the building in 2023. ^[36]

References

1. "Stuart Nash: Realism, balance needed on adoption". The New Zealand Herald . 11 February 2005.
2. "Former MPs – Stuart Nash". NZ Parliament.
3. "Official Count Results – Epsom". Wellington: Chief Electoral Office. 2005. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
4. "Party Lists of Successful Registered Parties". Electoral Commission . Retrieved 22 September 2014.
5. "Battle for Napier". Newstalk ZB. 3 December 2007. Archived from the original on 19 October 2008.
6. "Party Lists of Successful Registered Parties". Elections New Zealand. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
7. "Five newcomers to Labour's frontbench". Stuff . 20 November 2008. Archived from the original on 25 December 2008.
8. "Labour Party List 2011" (Press release). New Zealand Labour Party. Scoop. 10 April 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
9. Laing, Doug (28 November 2011). "Nash sees the positive side". Hawke's Bay Today .
10. Watkins, Tracy (13 April 2012). "Shearer's right-hand man poised to go". The Dominion Post .
11. "Labour confirms Nash as candidate for Napier seat". Hawke's Bay Today . 18 February 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
12. "Election Results – Napier". Electoral Commission. 4 October 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
13. Hendery, Simon (20 September 2014). "Napier returns to Labour, Nash returns to Parliament". Hawke's Bay Today . Retrieved 22 September 2014.
14. Wills, Bruce (22 September 2014). "Bruce Wills: Crucial factors show the best team won". Hawke's Bay Today . Retrieved 22 September 2014.
15. "Official Count Results (2017) – Napier". Electoral Commission. 7 October 2017.
16. "Who's in? Who's out?". Radio NZ. 20 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
17. "Ministerial List". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet . Retrieved 26 October 2017.
18. "Napier – Official Result". Electoral Commission . Retrieved 12 November 2020.
19. "Ministerial List for Announcement on Monday" (PDF). Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 2 November 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 November 2020. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
20. Kelly, Rachael (18 November 2021). "Nash says Groundswell stands for 'racist, anti-vax' sentiment". Stuff . Archived from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
21. "Stuart Nash has resigned as police minister, PM Hipkins says". Radio New Zealand . 15 March 2023. Archived from the original on 16 March 2023.
22. Wade, Amelia (16 March 2023). "Stuart Nash back under fire: Solicitor-General considered charging minister over 2020 cop killer comments". Newshub . Warner Bros. Discovery New Zealand. Archived from the original on 16 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
23. "Stuart Nash demoted to bottom of Cabinet, now on his 'final warning' – Hipkins". Radio New Zealand . 17 March 2023. Archived from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
24. "Fresh revelation of Cabinet rule breach leads to Stuart Nash's sacking". Radio New Zealand . 28 March 2023. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023.
25. "Cabinet Manual". dpmc.govt.nz. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 3 July 2017. Archived from the original on 20 May 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
26. Malpass, Luke (28 March 2023). "Stuart Nash sacked as minister after email to donors emerged". Stuff . Archived from the original on 8 June 2023.
27. "In full: The PM's statement on Nash sacking". The Spinoff . 28 March 2023. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023.
28. Ensor, Jamie (3 April 2023). "Stuart Nash to stand down from politics at election". Newshub . Warner Bros. Discovery New Zealand. Archived from the original on 3 April 2023.
29. "Labour MP Stuart Nash will leave politics at October election". Radio New Zealand . 3 April 2023. Archived from the original on 3 April 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
30. "Retention of the title "The Honourable"". New Zealand Gazette. 27 April 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
31. Smith, Anneke (16 June 2023). "Stuart Nash did not share confidential information with other donors, probe finds". Radio New Zealand . Archived from the original on 16 June 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
32. Lynch, Jenna (16 June 2023). "Exclusive: Stuart Nash investigation turns up another donor issue – inclusion in probe disputed by a senior minister". Newshub . Archived from the original on 16 June 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
33. McKenzie, Pete (19 June 2023). "Stuart Nash breached official information laws – Ombudsman". Newsroom . Archived from the original on 28 June 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
34. Moir, Jo (26 February 2024). "Stuart Nash claims Labour Cabinet softened its gang asset seizure policy". Radio New Zealand . Archived from the original on 16 April 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
35. Palmer, Russell (27 February 2024). "Labour dismissive of Stuart Nash criticism over gang asset seizures: 'He's got no class'". RNZ . Archived from the original on 5 March 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
36. Sharpe, Marty (10 March 2024). "Stuart Nash buys historic Napier building to turn into family home". Stuff . Archived from the original on 29 March 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2024.

External links

• Official website
• Parliamentary webpage

New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Chris Tremain	Member of Parliament for Napier 2014–present	Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Judith Collins	Minister of Revenue 2017–2020	Succeeded by David Parker
Preceded by Nathan Guy as Minister for Primary Industries	Minister of Fisheries 2017–2020
Preceded by Paula Bennett	Minister of Police 2017–2020 2023	Succeeded by Poto Williams
Preceded by Chris Hipkins		Succeeded by Ginny Andersen
Preceded by Phil Twyford	Minister for Economic Development 2020–2023	Succeeded by Barbara Edmonds
Preceded by Shane Jones	Minister of Forestry 2020–2023	Succeeded by Peeni Henare
Preceded by Kelvin Davis	Minister of Tourism 2020–2023	Succeeded by Peeni Henare
Preceded by David Parker	Minister for Oceans and Fisheries 2023	Succeeded by Rachel Brooking