Former Labour Minister Stuart Nash has spoken at New Zealand First’s annual conference.
Nash was widely rumoured to be aligning himself with the party. He told members it was no co-incidence leader Winston Peters and second-in-command Shane Jones were filling halls around the country.
Nash said he was not a member of any party and had not joined NZ First but indicated his support for it.
“I mean, I wouldn’t be speaking at the conference if I didn’t,” he told reporters. “I’m not so arrogant to think that I can just jump into New Zealand First.
The one-time Labour Cabinet Minister says he “didn’t expect to be stabbed in the back by someone I consider a good friend”. (Source: 1News)
“There is a process, but you know, I enjoy the New Zealand First team. I know a number of them, we have enlightening conversations.
“Like I said, if I wasn’t interested in politics, I wouldn’t be here, but there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge, before any final decisions are made.”
Asked if he could act as a potential bridge between New Zealand First and Labour, Nash demurred.
“That’s way above my pay grade and I’m not even on the pay scale yet.”
Peters said whether the party would put Nash forward to rejoin politics under their banner was “over to Stuart and it’s over to the party, but I’m delighted that he’s come along to speak”.
Nash’s speech largely drew attention to what he argued was a disconnect between current politicians and ordinary New Zealanders, drawing on the example of his own 20-year-old son, who had told his father he did not vote in the last election.
“The reason he gave is that politics has no relevance to him or his mates,” he said
He criticised Finance Minister Nicola Willis.
“Nicola tells those who are doing it hard to stop whinging that the glass is half empty. We’re not, we just don’t think that Wellington has our backs anymore.
“They used to, but not now that the cost of living has skyrocketed.”
He also criticised the Greens and party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick.
“Chlöe tells us that the Treaty has to be at the heart of everything we do as a country, and even though I understand the significance of the Treaty from an historical and cultural perspective, what the hell does that mean?
“Chlöe, when you tell us you want to increase the company tax rate to 33% and introduce a death duty, and tax Kiwis on the value of their family home, I shake my head, because this sort of economic naivety from someone who wants to be the next finance minister is incredibly dangerous and would kill our economy.”
He criticised Te Pāti Māori, as “nothing more than a protest movement who continue to re-inforce negative marriage stereotypes for political gain”.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins sacked Nash from Cabinet in 2023, after a series of missteps, including sharing confidential cabinet information with some of his own donors.
Nash had also a criticised a judge’s decision and revealed he phoned the police commissioner to discuss whether it would be appealed. Cabinet ministers are expected to avoid criticising judicial decisions.
“The thing that disappointed me most is not the fact that I wasn’t sitting in cabinet,” Nash today said. “The thing that really disappointed me was the guy that I thought had my back and was a good mate actually didn’t.
“Even a very experienced politician like I was didn’t expect to be stabbed in the back.”
However, he said his apparent shift in allegiances was “not personal at all”.
“I don’t think that I’ve abandoned the Labour Party. I suspect the Labour Party has probably abandoned me, and I suspect it’s also abandoned a whole lot of other people who grew up with those values and are looking at the Labour Party, going ‘this is not the party that my grandfather or my father talked about’.”
rnz.co.nz
