Lauren
Crimp Political reporter
National MP Katie Nimon
says decency has prevailed and women are vindicated
following Stuart Nash’s resignation as a New Zealand First
candidate.
Nash, a former Labour cabinet minister who
was in the race for the Napier seat against Nimon, labelled
her lazy for taking parental leave.
The comment was
roundly condemned across the political spectrum as sexist
and misogynistic, and he resigned on Wednesday
night.
That left an opening in the Napier electorate
which has been swept up by Te Kira Lawrence, a woman and
sitting Napier councillor who has switched from being the
party’s East Cape candidate.
Nimon has not heard from
Nash since his comments and resignation.
“I just like
to think that decency prevails,” she told RNZ.
“In all
of this a lot of women have felt … personally vindicated,
just to see that there are consequences for being hotheaded
and thoughtless with your words, because actually what he
said wasn’t even true.”
Nash said Nimon took nine
months off after having her son, Lochie.
In reality
she returned to electorate work when he was ten weeks old,
and returned to Parliament after six months.
“It’s
really hard, and I think that it’s my responsibility to be
honest about it too,” Nimon said.
“There is no right
way of being a working parent, and you’ve got to do what
works for you.”
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Nimon said the Prime Minister
Christopher Luxon, Speaker Gerry Brownlee and National’s
whip Stuart Smith had encouraged her to take all the time
she needed.
“Every time I was either in the House late
or in select committee for long hours, that was my choice,
and I love that I didn’t feel guilted into it, didn’t feel
like it was my obligation,” she said.
“We have such an
amazing team of strong women who have all done it before as
well. They show me that example, but I also remember I’m an
example to others.”
Nimon said she’s heard from people
across the political spectrum who have told her they do not
stand for Nash’s comment, and supported her
work.
“Hopefully all the women and working mums and
working parents out there are feeling really good about
themselves today.”
Mums of Parliament agree: it’s
hard work
A number of other sitting MPs have had
babies while in Parliament.
Nimon inherited a baby
bouncer from Minister for Women and National MP Nicola
Grigg, who had first received it from Labour’s Camilla
Belich.
Grigg spoke to RNZ from her office furnished
with a portacot and pram, nappies in the cupboards and
teddies scattered.
She recalled pacing the streets
delivering leaflets during the 2023 election campaign,
heavily pregnant, before taking some time off to have her
son.
“It is hard, and there’s no point even trying to
deny it, we work really long hours, we have a punishing
travel schedule, children don’t sleep when they’re told to
sleep,” she said.
“But you know what? You just make it
happen. Jacinda Ardern, as the Prime Minister of New
Zealand, made it happen. I’m making it happen.”
Grigg
said Nash had no choice but to resign.
“There is
absolutely no place for people like that in our House of
Representatives.”
Belich said being a mum in
Parliament was hard work.
“I’m grateful to the mothers
that went before me in the House,” she said.
“I didn’t
have hesitation that I couldn’t be a pregnant MP, and I
think that that’s a real testament to a lot of those mothers
who who went before and showed that it could be could be
done.”
The strength of public backlash against Nash’s
comment showed attitudes towards working mothers had
shifted, she said.
“We should always be working to try
and make sure that Parliament is a place that everyone can
aspire to be a part of, and we should be accommodating no
matter what stage of life they are at.”
Labour’s
Willow-Jean Prime was the first person to breastfeed in the
House, after rules changed in 2017 to allow it.
She
received a lot of support for that, she said, but there was
also vitriole.
“The fact that I am a māmā influences
the way that I do politics, my thinking, the things that we
fight for,” she said.
“As somebody who is a mum and a
member of Parliament, I found [Nash’s] comments offensive. I
know how hard it is to do both of those jobs.”
Green
MP Julie-Anne Genter has had two babies while in Parliament
– one of them, two months after former Prime Minister
Jacinda Ardern.
“We want our house our House of
Parliament to look like the rest of New Zealand, and if
you’re missing out on parents of young children, then you’re
missing out on a really important perspective in your
representation,” she said.
Genter was glad Luxon had
condemned Nash’s comments.
“I’d like to see him do
that more with other misogynistic and homophobic and racist
comments from some of his cabinet
colleagues.”
Speaking to media on Thursday, Luxon said
Nash owed Nimmo and apology.
“He did the right thing
resigning,” Luxon
said.
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