NZ First accepts Stuart Nash’s resignation after Christopher Luxon rules out Nash from future government

Stuart Nash has confirmed he has resigned as a New Zealand First candidate, after backlash over his comments had become “a significant distraction”.

It comes after Nash accused National’s Napier MP Katie Nimon of being “lazy” for taking maternity leave. Nash is a former Labour MP and minister and has a string of controversies to his name.

In a late-night social media post, Nash said he did not want the distraction to cost NZ First or the people of Napier, where he was to run against Nimon.

“As a husband and a father of four (including two strong, independent daughters) I have real respect for any working parent, and I regret that my words were open to an interpretation I never intended,” he wrote.

He claimed he was trying to say Napier needed an MP who fought hard for the region, but admitted he could have made the point “far better”.

This morning Nash was not commenting.

At their Napier home wife and public relations specialist Sarah Nash said the couple were “regrouping” and needed to “catch our breath a little bit”.

In a social media post late on Wednesday, Peters said: “Stuart Nash has offered his resignation as a candidate and we have accepted.”

Earlier, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Nash would not serve in any government he leads after the election.

Nash did not respond to the Herald‘s requests for comment.

‘Out of touch’

This morning National’s Katie Nimon said Nash’s comments over her maternity leave were an “unnecessary distraction”.

Nimon, Napier’s current MP, told Ryan Bridge TODAY she and Nash “just have different views”.

“You don’t have to be fighting or aggressive to be a good representative and actually doing this job with empathy ... that is what people want especially in 2026.

“I think he may have an out-of-touch view of what people want in their representative.”

She said she only spent six months away from Wellington but only had 10 weeks off work.

“Families have to make all sorts of decisions. I think all power to women that choose to have children and raise their families and do that by sacrificing their time off work.

“It’s an absolute joy, I’m so happy to have my son Lochie.”

She had not heard from Nash.

‘Sexist and wrong’ - Chris Hipkins

Luxon’s intervention came via a post to social media in which he said, “Whether reports of Stuart Nash’s resignation as a NZ First candidate are true or not, I am making clear he will not serve as a minister in my government.

“After several instances of poor behaviour, some politicians will claim he has changed. His lack of contrition after comments about one of my MPs’ maternity leave this evening shows he hasn’t,” Luxon said.

The post may draw comparisons to former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who, as Labour leader, said Green co-leader Metiria Turei would not serve in a government she led.

That intervention was one of the main factors that led to the end of Turei’s career.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins called Nash’s comments “sexist and wrong”.

“He has once again highlighted why I was right to remove him from Cabinet. He does not have the judgment or temperament to be a Minister. It is an indictment on both Winston Peters and Christopher Luxon that up until yesterday they thought he did.

“Christopher Luxon is very selective in the way he seems to approach standards of ministerial conduct.

“He’s right that Stuart Nash’s recent outburst was unacceptable, but so was Shane Jones insinuations about him performing oral sex on a visiting foreign leader, Winston Peters making masturbation jibes live on TV and Shane Jones outright racism towards Indians, yet the Prime Minister did absolutely nothing about any of that.

“Yesterday’s events were a stark reminder that a vote for any of the three parties currently in government is a vote for more of the same.”

Nash isn’t the only problem in NZ First - Hipkins

Labour leader Chris Hipkins released a statement on Thursday morning highlighting his decision to sack Nash from Cabinet in 2023 over leaking confidential information.

“Stuart Nash’s comments were sexist and wrong. He has once again highlighted why I was right to remove him from Cabinet.

“He does not have the judgment or temperament to be a Minister. It is an indictment on both Winston Peters and Christopher Luxon that up until yesterday they thought he did,” Hipkins said.

Hipkins pointed towards other recent controversies from NZ First MPs

“Christopher Luxon is very selective in the way he seems to approach standards of ministerial conduct.

“He’s right that Stuart Nash’s recent outburst was unacceptable, but so was Shane Jones insinuations about him performing oral sex on a visiting foreign leader, Winston Peters making masturbation jibes live on TV and Shane Jones outright racism towards Indians, yet the Prime Minister did absolutely nothing about any of that,” Hipkins said.

Hipkins was referring to remarks made by Jones over the weekend who said New Zealand politicians should “take off [their] kneepads” the next time a foreign dignitary visits.

Jones denied the remarks referred to oral sex, saying the remarks were about bowing. Peters took umbrage at a question from Ryan Bridge on Ryan Bridge TODAY, describing it as a “wanker question“.

‘Laziest MP I have ever come across’

Nash’s latest scandal began after remarks made on a podcast hosted by former Labour MP Phil Goff and former National MP Chris Finlayson called Cross Party Lines. Finlayson quoted a text message he claimed he had received from Nash.

Finlayson had been speaking positively about Nimon, the current MP for Napier, who took time off from Parliament to have her first child, Lochie Lawson, in 2025, on a previous episode of the podcast.

Finlayson said Nimon “had a very good future” and Nash, who is running against Nimon, responded: “Comments like yours motivate and drive me harder”, Finlayson read.

“Katie took nine months off on full pay, went back for a week, then took another month off,” the message continued.

“Laziest MP I have ever come across. Nice woman, but ill-suited to the rigours of being an electorate MP.”

Nimon’s son Lochie was born on May 22 – that year’s Budget Day. She returned to Parliament on December 8.

Nimon said she had 10 weeks off in that time and as an MP, she was not eligible for maternity leave.

“I was kindly granted parliamentary leave, so I took six months away from being in Wellington, but I was away from work for about 10 weeks,” she said.

Nimon said although she was away from Wellington during that time, she was working as a local MP in her electorate in various capacities, taking her baby “with me everywhere”.