The post may draw comparisons to former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who, as Labour leader, said Green co-leader Metiria Turei would not serve in a government she led.

That intervention was one of the main factors that led to the end of Turei’s career.

Luxon’s swipe at Nash may have a similar effect.

The scandal began after remarks made on a podcast hosted by former Labour MP Phil Goff and former National MP Chris Finlayson called Cross Party Lines. Finlayson quoted a text message he claimed he had received from Nash.

Finlayson had been speaking positively about Nimon, the current MP for Napier, who took time off from Parliament to have her first child, Lochie Lawson, in 2025, on a previous episode of the podcast.

Finlayson said Nimon “had a very good future” and Nash, who is running against Nimon, responded: “Comments like yours motivate and drive me harder”, Finlayson read.

“Katie took nine months off on full pay, went back for a week, then took another month off,” the message continued.

“Laziest MP I have ever come across. Nice woman, but ill-suited to the rigours of being an electorate MP.”

Nimon’s son Lochie was born on May 22 – that year’s Budget Day. She returned to Parliament on December 8.

Nimon said she had 10 weeks off in that time and as an MP, she was not eligible for maternity leave.

“I was kindly granted parliamentary leave, so I took six months away from being in Wellington, but I was away from work for about 10 weeks,” she said.

Nimon said although she was away from Wellington during that time, she was working as a local MP in her electorate in various capacities, taking her baby “with me everywhere”.