Nash relished police role, but wanted more economic involvement

A happy Labour Party MP Stuart Nash on election night. Photo / Ian Cooper

Napier MP Stuart Nash has revealed his departure from the role of Minister of Police stemmed from a wish to become more involved in economic development within the new Government.

Asked if he was disappointed to be leaving the police role, Nash said he had enjoyed the three years but had asked for more economic involvement and couldn't do both at once.

In the announcement of the Cabinet of 20 Labour Party MPs, the party forming a Government-alone with more than half the seats in Parliament but establishing a confidence-and-supply agreement with the Green Party, Nash was given the roles of Minister of Economic and Regional Development, Minister of Tourism and Minister of Forestry.

Now in his fourth term, Nash has retained the Small Business portfolio.

The new Minister of Police is Poto Williams, a former Assistant Speaker of the House and Minister-outside-Cabinet now in her eighth year as MP for Christchurch East.

Poto has leapt to No 10 in the Cabinet rankings, leapfrogging Nash who retains the No 12 position.

The Revenue and Fisheries portfolios previously held by Nash have been passed to Attorney-General and Associate Minister of Finance David Parker.

The Economic and Regional Development role brings into one office the Economic Development role formerly held by Phil Twyford, now a Minister-outside-Cabinet, and the Regional Economic Development role.

A happy Ikaroa-Rāwhiti Labour candidate Meka Whaitiri on election night - the good news continued this week with her reinstatement as a minister. Photo / Supplied

The latter was previously held by Shane Jones, one of the three New Zealand First Cabinet Ministers ejected in last month's General Election, best known for his distribution of the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF).

Nash said the PGF was a three-year time-specific project during the 2017-2020 Labour-led coalition term.

While that time is now over, there is expected to be reallocation of some funds no longer required for the original purposes.

Nash said he had enjoyed his three years as Minister of Police, with an increase in police numbers, the recovery of 60,000 firearms in the community, and the relationships and communication with the serving staff.

"I thought it was a real privilege and a pleasure," he said.

But he said he was keen to get involved in the redesign of the economy amid and recovering from the coronavirus pandemic, and with the Tourism and Forestry portfolios has "a lot of reading", and traipsing the countryside meeting and speaking with the stakeholders.

Cabinet members return to Wellington on Friday to be sworn-in by Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy at Government House.