Napier MP and former Police Minister Stuart Nash has been dismissed from Cabinet, losing all of his ministerial portfolios.
It comes after Nash was found to have breached Cabinet rules again.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said he learned of the breach about 5pm today. He called a press conference at 7pm.
There he told reporters he had been made aware of an email Nash sent in March 2020 to two contacts regarding a commercial rent relief package that Cabinet had considered.
"In the email he sets out both his opposition to the decision Cabinet reached and the position that other Cabinet members took.
"This is a clear breach of collective responsibility and Cabinet confidentiality."
Hipkins said Nash "has fundamentally breached my trust and the trust of his Cabinet colleagues and his conduct is inexcusable".
The two contacts — Troy Bowker and Greg Loveridge, via GRL Holdings Ltd. — had both donated to Nash.
It comes after further allegations of Nash breaking Cabinet Manual rules emerged. (Source: 1News)
"They are also commercial property owners who had an interest in the Cabinet decision.
"That crosses a line that is totally unacceptable to me."
Hipkins said he expected ministers to uphold "the highest ethical standards" and Nash's actions raise perceptions of influence which cannot stand".
He had sought — and received — assurances from Nash in recent weeks there were no other instances or allegations of misconduct Hipkins should be aware of.
Hipkins said Nash was "on a final warning", but the incident "would have resulted in his dismissal in its own right".
"I consider the matter to be a very serious one."
Minister Megan Woods will be Acting Minister for Economic Development and Acting Minister of Forestry, and Minister David Parker will be Acting Minister for Oceans and Fisheries.
Meka Whaitiri — herself fired as Customs Minister in 2018 — would lead the Hawke's Bay cyclone response on an acting basis.
Nash resigned from the police portfolio earlier this month after he revealed he had spoken to Police Commissioner Andrew Coster about whether he would appeal a case.
Further allegations also emerged which saw him demoted to the bottom of Cabinet rankings while retaining his Economic Development, Fisheries and Forestry portfolios.
One of those was the revelation the Solicitor-General considered prosecuting Nash for contempt following comments he made after the arrest of Eli Epiha, who ultimately pleaded guilty to murdering Police Constable Matthew Hunt.
The third instance was where he contacted a senior official from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment in September last year to ask them to look at an immigration case of a health professional in the Napier electorate.
'A very serious breach' - National
National Party leader Christopher Luxon was unequivocal, calling for Nash to leave not just his portfolios but Parliament "tonight", saying Nash's actions were akin to "insider trading".
"It's a very serious breach, it just gives you no confidence he can carry on here in Parliament.
"I'm sorry but we have standards here, this is a senior minister... it is akin to insider trading."
Nash's immediate resignation from Parliament would trigger a by-election in the Napier electorate, which could cost the public purse north of $1 million.
"Don't blame me for that, blame Stuart Nash, blame Chris Hipkins for that," Luxon said.
"He cannot remain... in Parliament here.
"It's completely, utterly untenable."
Luxon said there were "endless personnel issues" in Labour and it was distracting from discussion of policy.
'Low ministerial standards' - ACT
In a statement, ACT leader David Seymour said Hipkins would now "pay the price for having low ministerial standards and being unable to sack ministers, just like Jacinda Ardern".
"ACT called for Stuart Nash to be sacked on day one.
"Chris Hipkins lacks the decisiveness required to hold poor-performing and ethically-challenged ministers to account.
"Hipkins said he asked for an assurance that Stuart Nash had done nothing else that would breach the Cabinet Manual and got that assurance. He clearly did a poor job of it.
"Hipkins will now pay a price for having low standards and being unable to manage his Cabinet."
Nash has been an MP for 15 years and is the MP for Napier. He had been a minister since 2017.
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