'He said what?': NZ First's Nash in hot water over 'sexist' remarks

Former MP Stuart Nash is "channelling the manosphere," says Prime Minister Christopher Luxon — after the NZ First candidate branded a National MP "one of the laziest" for the time she took for maternity leave.

Nash, a former Labour Party minister now standing for NZ First in Napier, made the comments about National's first-term Napier MP Katie Nimon in a text message to former attorney-general Chris Finlayson on July 14.

In the text seen by 1News, Nash allegedly wrote: "Katie took nine months off on full pay, went back for a week, then took another month off.

"Laziest MP I have ever come across.

"Nice woman but ill-suited to the rigors of being an electorate MP."

Nash is running against Nimon in the electorate at November's election. It's the second controversy the ex-Cabinet minister has faced in the past year over his alleged remarks.

The text about Nimon was read out by Finlayson on his Cross Party Lines podcast last week with former Labour leader Phil Goff.

Nimon herself told media the believed the comments were "absolutely" sexist but her initial reaction was to laugh.

"I actually gave a little giggle because, of course, they're not true, and that's very much an expected thing from Stuart," she said.

She said she returned to work part-time in her electorate after about 10 weeks, and was back in Wellington after six months. Asked whether she expected to receive an apology from Nash, Nimon said she was "doubtful."

"I've achieved more with National for Hawke's Bay in three years with a baby than he has in nine years," she said.

Luxon today said Nash had a history of derogatory comments about women and defended Nimon as a hard-working MP who had taken parental leave with his encouragement.

"Every woman in the country, I think, would understand that those comments are sexist and they're grossly inappropriate," Luxon said.

"NZ First is channelling the manosphere. I think those comments are sexist."

Asked whether he thought women on maternity leave were working hard, Luxon said: "Yeah, I do. And I encourage my women MPs and ministers who get pregnant to take the full parental leave because I think it's really important."

Senior National MP Chris Bishop appeared shocked when told of the remarks, pausing for a moment. "You're joking. He said what?" he said.

Bishop said he was visiting Hawke's Bay while Nimon was on leave and had seen her bring her baby to a sod-turning event on the Hawke's Bay Expressway.

"Katie Nimon is one of the hardest working MPs I know," Bishop said.

"Honestly, I mean, this from a guy who claims the Labour Party left him. Last time I checked, he was booted from Cabinet for leaking secret information to his donors."

Bishop later called him a "sexist dickhead" in a social media post.

Separately, Finlayson told 1News the text had followed a podcast episode in which he had praised Nimon, predicting she would beat Nash "handily" in Napier.

"I don't know that this is the way politics should be conducted," Finlayson said.

"By all means, deal with the issues in a vigorous kind of way. If necessary, criticise your opponents. But a young working woman taking maternity leave - I think this kind of stuff's, as I say, not the way in which politics should be conducted."

Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson called the comments "pretty vulgar" and said Nash had "had enough of undermining women for his lifetime."

New Zealand First's Shane Jones declined to weigh in, telling reporters he had not heard the comments and would not be commenting on them.

Nash has been approached for comment by 1News.

It is not the first controversy involving Nash and his remarks.

In a September interview with radio show The Platform, Nash described a woman as a "person with a p***y and a pair of t*ts", comments he later apologised for.

The remark resulted in Nash being dumped from a US investment trip with Trade Minister Todd McClay.

— additional reporting by Political Producer Tom Day