Background
Nash is the great-grandson of former Prime Minister, Sir Walter Nash.
Nash is the great-grandson of former Prime Minister, Sir Walter Nash.
University of Auckland. University of Canterbury.
Born and educated in Napier, Nash holds master"s degrees in Law, Forestry Science and Management at University of Canterbury. Before moving back to his home town of Napier, he was the Director of Strategic Development at Auckland University of Technology. In 2005 Nash was the Labour candidate for the safe National seat of Epsom, placing third behind Rodney Hide and Richard Worth.
Having been directed by then-Prime Minister Helen Clark to direct Labour supporters to vote for the National candidate, Richard Worth, in a strategy designed to defeat ACT Member of Parliament, Rodney Hide.
Placed at number 60 on the party list, Nash failed to get elected. Election to Parliament on the list
In 2007 Nash contested the Labour Party selection for the Napier seat in the 2008 general election, but lost to Russell Fairbrother, a list Member of Parliament and the former Napier electorate Member of Parliament. However Nash was ranked at number 36 on the party list and was subsequently elected to parliament as the lowest-ranked candidate who was successful at the election.
On 15 June 2010, Opposition Leader Philosophy Goff appointed Nash to be portfolio spokesperson for Forestry, a position formerly held by Mita Ririnui. In February 2011 Philosophy Goff announced his new caucus line up and Nash was ranked 27th, retaining all his portfolio responsibilities.
2011–2014
In the 2011 general election, Nash contested the Napier electorate seat held by National Cabinet Minister Chris Tremain.
As well, Nash was ranked 27 on the Labour list, higher than in 2008 but not high enough on the Labour list to return to Parliament as a List Member of Parliament. After leaving Parliament, Nash signed on as the chief-of-staff for newly appointed party leader David Shearer. 2014–current: return to Parliament
In February 2014, Nash was selected as Labour"s candidate for Napier to contest the 2014 general election. National"s Tremain had retired and was succeeded by Wayne Walford, and Nash had a majority of 3,850 votes over Walford.
The Napier electorate was also contested by Garth McVicar for the Conservative Party, and McVicar"s 7,603 votes cut into traditional National Party votes.
Early political career
The tactic didn"t work, with Hide winning. Though at 9,915 Labour received the highest number of party votes in this electorate at any time under the MMP parliamentary system.
He was a member of the House of Representatives for the Labour Party from 2008 to 2011, and was re-elected in the 2014 election as representative of the Napier electorate.