It's been a big week for ministerial mishaps. On Inside Parliament this week 1News' political reporters talk ups and downs for Stuart Nash and Marama Davidson... spoiler alert — there weren't a lot of ups for those two this week.
Listen here or read on below.
'Rip, tear, bust'
It's been a long 15 days for Napier MP Stuart Nash, but this week has to have been the worst for him so far.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins learned of a March 2020 email Nash sent to two contacts regarding a commercial rent relief package Cabinet had considered.
About two hours later, at 7pm, the PM was on the black and white tiles in Parliament announcing Nash had been sacked from all ministerial portfolios.
It followed revelations on March 15 that Nash had spoken to Police Commissioner Andrew Coster about whether the police would appeal a case — a breach of the Cabinet Manual.
Nash was asked to resign from the police portfolio for that one. Hipkins said if Nash had not resigned he would have sacked him.
The next day, it was revealed Nash was warned in 2020 about making comments about a case before the courts. The Solicitor-General Una Jagose considered — and ultimately decided against — charging Nash with contempt, instead asking Attorney-General David Parker to speak to him. Hipkins said the issue was "in the past".
Then, on March 17, Hipkins said he had been advised of a third mishap involving Nash, where he contacted a senior official from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment in September last year to ask them to look at an immigration case of a health professional in the Napier electorate.
Nash was dropped to the bottom of the Cabinet rankings but allowed to retain his remaining portfolios — fisheries, forestry and economic development.
But it all came crashing down on Tuesday this week.
On the podcast, the Inside Parliament team talk about what may happen next. 1News political reporter Cushla Norman says part of the problem was Stuart Nash's "rip, tear, bust" approach to getting things done.
'Snowflake!'
One person who would have been relieved at the distraction of Nash's political implosion was Marama Davidson.
The Green co-leader was leading the headlines until Nash swiped them back — because of three little words: 'white cis men'.
Davidson found herself accounting for saying as the Minister for Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, she knew who caused violence in the world and it was white cisgender men.
"Cis" is short for cisgender, which is the opposite of transgender. The term relates to a person whose gender identity corresponds with the sex assigned at birth.
Davidson made the comments, among others, debunking the incorrect idea that transgender people — specifically transgender women — are inherently dangerous.
She had just been hit by a motorcycle at the time, but the National Party demanded she apologise and step down as minister.
It led to fiery scenes in the House on Tuesday, including at one point someone yelling "snowflake!" to Louise Upston.
It came from the direction of the Greens, and Julie Anne Genter is seen on camera cupping her hands to her mouth and mouthing the word "snowflake". However, a Green Party spokesperson has said they do not believe it was Genter but rather a Labour MP.
Just one of life's mysteries.
1News Inside Parliament is available on your favourite podcast app.
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