Stuart Nash

Stuart Alexander Nash (born August 1967) is a politician from New Zealand. He was a list member of the House of Representatives for the Labour Party from 2008 to 2011, and was re-elected in the 2014 election as representative of the Napier electorate. He entered Cabinet in October 2017, with the portfolios of Police, Revenue, Small Business and Fisheries.

The Honourable

Stuart Nash

MP
Stuart Nash in 2017
30th Minister of Revenue
Assumed office
26 October 2017
Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern
Preceded byJudith Collins
39th Minister of Police
Assumed office
26 October 2017
Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern
Preceded byPaula Bennett
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Napier
Assumed office
20 September 2014
Preceded byChris Tremain
Majority5,220
Personal details
BornAugust 1967 (age 52–53)[1]
Napier
Political partyLabour
RelativesWalter Nash (great-grandfather)
ResidenceNapier, New Zealand
Alma materUniversity of Canterbury
ProfessionInternational Business
WebsiteOfficial website

Nash is the great-grandson of Walter Nash, 27th Prime Minister of New Zealand in the Second Labour Government from 1957 to 1960.

Professional life

Born in Napier and educated at Napier Boys' High School, Nash holds master's degrees in Law, Forestry Science and Management from the University of Canterbury. Before moving back to his home town of Napier, he was the Director of Strategic Development at Auckland University of Technology.[2]

Political career
New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2008–2011 49th List 36 Labour
2014–2017 51st Napier none Labour
2017–present 52nd Napier 11 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 Napier electorate.[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 Napier 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]

gollark: Newton's flaming laser sword applies, then.
gollark: We can generally react to ongoing present things.
gollark: No. We can infer the past from things other than memory.
gollark: In what way?
gollark: Interesting.

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.co.nz. 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.
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–present		 Incumbent
Preceded by
Paula Bennett		 Minister of Police
2017–present		 Incumbent
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