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

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

Finlayson said he wasn’t sure what he had done to “warrant a text in the middle of the night”.

Nimon said she had 10 weeks off in 2025 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.”

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”.

When asked where Nash got the nine months from, she said she believed it came from “his own head”.

“That’s the way he rolls,” Nimon said.

“I think the public can make their own decisions on how he feels about women. He’s made his position really clear.”

Prime Minister Chris Luxon today said Nash “channels the manosphere” and his comments had been “quite derogatory over a number of years”.

“I think those comments are sexist,” Luxon said.

“Katie Nimon’s an incredibly hard-working MP. She’s a real talent for this place, and most importantly she is someone who’s taken parental leave as you would reasonably expect, as I have encouraged her to do so.”

Luxon said Winston Peters should ask Nash if the comments were appropriate.

Nash has been approached for comment.