Stuart Nash: Former Labour minister discusses potential return to parliament with NZ First

Unfinished business for a former Labour minister, who may jump ship and campaign for New Zealand First. 

Stuart Nash, who was Police Minister during the last Government, made a surprise appearance at New Zealand First's annual convention in Palmerston North over the weekend. 

He was sacked from the last Government's Cabinet after a string of scandals including revealing confidential information to former donors.  

Nash told Ryan Bridge he's been enjoying running a business, but believes there are things that need to be done in Parliament. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
A few things came out of the news on first
annual meeting at the weekend. Winston wants Kiwi Savia contributions
at ten percent funded by tax cuts. No detail on that.
Also on the wish list, they want new migrants to
sign a value statement. Stuart Nash, former Labor cabinet minister,
was there. He was speaking. He's with us now. Good morning, Brian,
how are you?

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Good morning?

Speaker 1 (00:17):
Very good, thank you.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Now.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
The text machines lit up when I mentioned you were
coming on the show. I just wants to get back
into parliament. He's desperate and we can't trust Winston not
to go with Labor again. Are you the bridge that's
going to connect the two.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
Oh a god, I don't know about that, but you
know all the stuff that can't wait to get back
into parliament in these desperate people tend to forget that.
Well if they even knew in the first place that
if you're a cabinet minister and you only get into
Parliment to be a cabinet ministers, that's how you effect change.
It's eighty to one hundred hours a week continuous. That
includes that's seven days a week. It's not a job
for the faint hearted. You lose contact with your mates,

(00:50):
and you know, you don't see much time with your family.
So you know, I'm not trying a run. Don't want
to paint a sub story here, but I do want
to say, you know, I've got business I've started. I'm
really enjoying it. I'm loving the fact that I can
go and have a bear with my mates and not
have some clown with a cell phone take a photo
of the me and put it up on social media.
So the reason if I get back in department, the
reason I am is just un finished business. I think

(01:12):
the stuff that needs to be done to make this
country better than it is, and you know, and the
opportunity to do that exists.

Speaker 1 (01:20):
Are you actually have you officially have you put a
submission in to be you know, is there an official
consideration actually happening.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
No, as with every party, there's a nomination process. They
haven't open with the ZILM First yet, so you know
there's a process to go through. Obviously, by attending the
JILM First conference, I said a pretty clear message that
that's my politics live these days, and if I have
to go back in department, that's it would be what.

Speaker 1 (01:45):
Is your understanding of Winston ruling out working with labor,
is it just under Chippy?

Speaker 2 (01:51):
Well, he my understands he's never actually ruled out working
with labor. He's ruled out working with Hipkins. And so
you know it presents an instant a lemaphila. But if
they end up with say thirty six percent and zero,
Thirsty end up with sixteen. But you know that's obviously
a discussion way above my pay grade. I mean, I'm
not even on.

Speaker 1 (02:10):
But it's such an important question, isn't it. Because the
right felt they were completely dicked over by Winston Peters
when he went with you cinda rejoin.

Speaker 2 (02:20):
Well again, that's that's a question you'll have to put
to Winston. The bottom line is that there's a lot
of water to going to the bridge. I think there's
a whole lot of people on the left or no,
not the left or the center, which is where my
politics sort of stands. That they look at the Party
marriage they're just a protest movement, they really are. You
look at the Greens and what Chloe wants to do,

(02:40):
you know, hip hip consess to come out and say,
you know, show some balls and say, okay, am I
going to rule out working putting a capital gains text,
and am I going to rule out putting a wealth text?
And Chloe wants to increase the tax rate for corporates
at a point in time when our economy needs priming,
not not stifling. There's a whole lot of questions that
hip consister, aren't the question for voters before anyone would

(03:04):
I think even consider the left. But again that's a
decision for Winston. There's a lot of water to going
to the bridge at that point.

Speaker 1 (03:08):
On Stuart, appreciate your time. Stuart Nash, former Labour Cabinet minister,
potential future New Zealand First ministered.

Speaker 2 (03:14):
For more from early edition with Ryan Bridge.

Speaker 1 (03:16):
Listen live to news Talks it'd be from five am weekdays,
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