Face of the Day

Former Labour minister-now-New Zealand First admirer Stuart Nash has been dumped from a government trip to the United States this week due to concerns his recent remarks about women would be “a distraction”.

Nash – who runs consultancy Nash Kelly Global – had been set to join Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and other delegates on a trip to promote the government’s new “golden visa” in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

But RNZ understands Nash was told last Thursday evening he was no longer welcome after crude comments he made during an appearance on online talk station the Platform.

When first approached for comment this week, Nash told RNZ his plans had merely been postponed after his 13-year-old son badly broke his leg on Sunday.

“Don’t know who told you I was dropped,” he sent in a text message. “I have just delayed my travel by three weeks.”

But the government told a different story. Stanford’s office referred RNZ’s questions to Invest New Zealand, the agency which organised the delegation.

Invest New Zealand then sent a written response, attributed to a spokesperson for Trade Minister Todd McClay.

“The minister decided that Mr Nash’s participation in the mission would be a distraction,” the statement said.

“He thought it would be unfair to other members of the delegation to have to respond to questions from potential US investors, especially women, about Mr Nash’s comments. Mr Nash was therefore informed he was no longer on the delegation.”

RNZ