Embattled Labour MP Stuart Nash has released his first public comments since being sacked from cabinet yesterday afternoon.

In a post on his newly reactivated Facebook page, Nash apologised to the prime minister, cabinet, his caucus, staff and “the amazing, hard working Labour members of Napier”. He said he had let them all down and caused “an unwanted distraction at a time when we all need to be laser-focussed on delivering for New Zealanders”.

While Nash reiterated his intention to avoid an “unnecessary, messy and expensive by-election” and stay on as Napier MP “for the meantime”, there are intriguing details absent from the statement. He does not reveal whether or not he plans to contest the forthcoming election and nor does he confirm whether or not he intends to stay as a Labour MP (there has been some speculation he could jump to New Zealand First).

“I absolutely acknowledge that I played outside the rules and that’s unacceptable,” said Nash. “Never ever for personal gain, or to benefit anyone other than the people of NZ and my Napier constituents, but that doesn’t matter in the end. I let them down by not getting it right.”

He added of the rule breaches that got him sacked: “I do want to be clear: I got this wrong. Too many times. Fair cop. The prime minister did what he needed to do. I accept this with humility.”

Nash also apologised to his family. “My wife has often commented that I need to work on my EQ. She’s right, so it’s time to take her very sage advice as I embark on the next phase of my journey,” he said.

Stuart Nash is goneburger and Gone By Lunchtime is here to file through his laundry list of infractions to decide whether or not Chris Hipkins should take further action. Could Nash end up in NZ First? Will he be snapped up by Ben Thomas and his lobbyist comrades? Plus: Marama Davidson calls out cis white men and Erica Stanford delivers the National Party’s education policy.

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The prime minister has announced a review into correspondence between Stuart Nash and donors – and admitted the office of his predecessor knew about the leaked email that prompted Nash’s downfall.

It was revealed yesterday that Nash had divulged details of private cabinet conversations with donors back in 2020. That revelation prompted Nash’s immediate sacking from cabinet yesterday evening.

Speaking ahead of question time today, Chris Hipkins confirmed he had asked the cabinet secretary to conduct the review. It would take about two months, said Hipkins, and Nash will “fully cooperate” with the review.

The review will look at whether there have been any other breaches of cabinet collective responsibility or confidentially, or whether there have been perceived or actual conflicts of interest in communications Nash has had with those donors.

“The scope of this review will be limited to emails, texts and other messages between Stuart Nash and any declared donor to his campaign,” Hipkins said.

The prime minister said that the email at the centre of Nash’s sacking had been picked up in an Official Information Act request at the time but it was deemed out of scope and not released. When this was repeated during question time, National MPs were heard scowling in response, including deputy leader Nicola Willis who called it a “cover up”. That’s because it suggests that former prime minister Jacinda Ardern’s office knew about the email and chose not to act.

Hipkins, however, reiterated that Ardern was not aware of the email herself and nor was her chief of staff.

Meanwhile, Nash, who is expected to publicly reveal his political intentions shortly, has removed his public Facebook page. The Spinoff tried to find it earlier today and found only his personal account. Hipkins had no comment on the deletion of the page.

The education minister was meant to be responding to queries on the teachers’ strike during question time this afternoon.

However, it was prime minister Chris Hipkins who stood up in place of Jan Tinetti to answer. That’s because, Hipkins explained, Tinetti was seeking medical attention after being hit in the head with a camera on her way into the House.

It’s likely this was an unintentional collision during the so-called “bridge run” when MPs are questioned by press gallery journalists – flanked by camera operators – in the foyer outside the debating chamber.

Almost 30,000 online submissions were made on Auckland Council’s proposed budget.

The 28,850 submissions are a record and well up on the previous high of 21,000 during the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020.

According to Auckland Council, it’s expected to be about three times as many submissions as recorded last year. That’s likely because of the wide-ranging cuts proposed by mayor Wayne Brown across public transport, culture, sport, events, parks, libraries, recreation facilities and more in the cause of addressing a budget gap of $295 million.

“The large number of submissions shows that Aucklanders are engaged with this budget,” said Auckland Council group chief financial officer Peter Gudsell.

“There are some tough choices ahead and these are important decisions that will be made on behalf of Aucklanders, so it’s great to see we’ve heard from so many.”

As reported by The Spinoff’s Toby Manhire last week, preliminary figures showed an unfortunate skew in the ethnicity of those making budget submissions. The data showed that 82% percent of those who had submitted by the start of last week identified as European, despite making up 53.5% of the Auckland population, while Māori accounted for 7% of responses (11.5% of the population, according to the census).

Stuart Nash doesn’t intend to quit parliament ahead of the October election – but is yet to reveal whether he wants to stay on in parliament any longer than that.

The Napier MP was dumped as a cabinet minister last night. But remaining a local MP will stop a costly byelection in a region still recovering from Cyclone Gabrielle.

PM Chris Hipkins told reporters in Wellington today that he’s receiving new advice regarding Nash’s future. He said it was understood the former prime minister Jacinda Ardern was not aware of the emails that led to Nash’s sacking and he was making enquiries to find out if anybody was aware.

Nash, meanwhile has pushed back on speculation he could jump ship to New Zealand First. “I’m Labour to the core – always have been always will be,” he told the Herald, though also confirming he had a “long conversation” with NZ First’s Shane Jones overnight.

Winston Peters took to Twitter saying that Nash had been hung out to dry by his caucus colleagues.

If you’re still out there mourning the loss of Laneway Festival 2023: here is something to help you on your recovery.

The Beths played a Tiny Desk Concert for NPR that’s been released this morning, showcasing four hits from their catalogue. It’s a great watch.

Wayne Brown has given a fairly lengthy and casual interview with the Herald’s new editor-at-large Shayne Currie over lunch.

It’s a wide-ranging interview, as the mayor talks about his personal life (he calls his wife “princess” and she calls him “Brownie”), his food interests (“salmon and champagne”) and, of course, some council business as well.

But he also makes a seemingly off the cuff and somewhat snide remark about one of his own councillors.

According to Currie, the mayor maintains that he is “socially liberal and economically conservative” and attempting to reach consensus among the broad church of his council.

“No one is wholly good nor bad,” Brown said of his council, “although Josephine Bartley is pushing the boundaries, I have to say.”

We’ve approached Bartley for comment.

You can read the full paywalled interview (including extensive details about the mayor’s band “The Hangi Stones”) here.

It’s also been reported today by Stuff’s Todd Niall that Brown opted not to travel to Wellington to appear before a parliamentary select committee on three waters, blindsiding some of his council colleagues. He was, apparently, too busy.

David Seymour was more reflective and pragmatic than National leader Christopher Luxon last night. Luxon called on Nash to resign from parliament immediately, triggering a byelection. Luxon said the “crime” was “akin to insider trading”.

Asked whether Luxon’s demand was hypocritical given National’s criticism of government spending, Seymour said his concern “was less about the roughly $1.2m needed for a byelection but the time it would take given the proximity of the general election.” A byelection would only be triggered if Nash didn’t vacate his seat within six months of a general election.

RNZ asked Nash “if he planned on sticking around in the Napier seat” last night. He replied, confirming he would and that there would be no byelection.

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Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson was “horrified” and in shock after being hit by a motorcycle before attending a rally against an anti-trans speaker over the weekend.

For the first time, Davidson, who was this week asked to clarify comments she made at the rally about “white cis men”, has revealed more details about the incident that left her seeking medical treatment.

Speaking to RNZ’s First Up, Davidson said she had laid a police complaint against the motorcyclist. “I was quite badly bruised but thankfully nothing broken and am on the good healing path now,” she said.

“I was quite horrified and shook up, probably have been for the past few days if I’m honest. That shock’s starting to wear off [with] the realisation of what’s happened.”

Davidson’s defence for the “white cis men” remarks was that she had been hit by the motorbike and, effectively, wasn’t thinking straight. Despite this, there are unfounded rumours being spread online that the comments were made before the collision.

Davidson said that’s untrue. “I was hit by the motorcycle when I first turned up to the protest. I got hit… but didn’t want to give up my commitment to speak at the rally,” she said. “On the way back to the car [I] was massively ambushed by the right wing Hannah Spierer who is also in court for sharing white supremacist material.”

There was a “charged atmosphere” at the rally, said Davidson, but she would not be apologising for the comments she made. “I always talk about ending the patriarchy [and] the structures of power. I don’t move away from what I was trying to highlight and that the biggest threat to women is definitely not trans people,” she said.