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National MP Katie Nimon says decency has prevailed and women are vindicated following Stuart Nash's resignation as a New Zealand First candidate.
Nash, a former Labour Cabinet minister who was in the race for the Napier seat against Nimon, labelled her lazy for taking parental leave.
The comment was roundly condemned across the political spectrum as sexist and misogynistic, and he resigned on Wednesday night.
That left an opening in the Napier electorate which has been swept up by Te Kira Lawrence, a woman and sitting Napier councillor who has switched from being the party's East Cape candidate.
Nimon has not heard from Nash since his comments and resignation.
"I just like to think that decency prevails," she told RNZ.
"In all of this a lot of women have felt ... personally vindicated, just to see that there are consequences for being hotheaded and thoughtless with your words, because actually what he said wasn't even true."
Nash said Nimon took nine months off after having her son Lochie.
In reality, she returned to electorate work when he was 10 weeks old, and returned to Parliament after six months.
"It's really hard, and I think that it's my responsibility to be honest about it too," Nimon said.
"There is no right way of being a working parent, and you've got to do what works for you."
Nimon said the Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Speaker Gerry Brownlee and National's whip Stuart Smith had encouraged her to take all the time she needed.
“Every time I was either in the House late or in select committee for long hours, that was my choice, and I love that I didn't feel guilted into it, didn't feel like it was my obligation," she said.
"We have such an amazing team of strong women who have all done it before as well. They show me that example, but I also remember I'm an example to others."
Nimon said she's heard from people across the political spectrum who have told her they do not stand for Nash's comment, and supported her work.
"Hopefully all the women and working mums and working parents out there are feeling really good about themselves today."
Mums of Parliament agree: it's hard work
A number of other sitting MPs have had babies while in Parliament.
Nimon inherited a baby bouncer from Minister for Women and National MP Nicola Grigg, who had first received it from Labour's Camilla Belich.
Grigg spoke to RNZ from her office furnished with a portacot and pram, nappies in the cupboards and teddies scattered.
She recalled pacing the streets delivering leaflets during the 2023 election campaign, heavily pregnant, before taking some time off to have her son.
"It is hard, and there's no point even trying to deny it, we work really long hours, we have a punishing travel schedule, children don't sleep when they're told to sleep," she said.
"But you know what? You just make it happen. Jacinda Ardern, as the Prime Minister of New Zealand, made it happen. I'm making it happen."
Grigg said Nash had no choice but to resign.
"There is absolutely no place for people like that in our House of Representatives."
Belich said being a mum in Parliament was hard work.
"I'm grateful to the mothers that went before me in the House. I didn't have hesitation that I couldn't be a pregnant MP, and I think that that's a real testament to a lot of those mothers who who went before and showed that it could be could be done."
The strength of public backlash against Nash's comment showed attitudes towards working mothers had shifted, she said.
"We should always be working to try and make sure that Parliament is a place that everyone can aspire to be a part of, and we should be accommodating no matter what stage of life they are at."
Labour's Willow-Jean Prime was the first person to breastfeed in the House after rules changed in 2017 to allow it.
She received a lot of support for that, she said, but there was also vitriol.
"The fact that I am a māmā influences the way that I do politics, my thinking, the things that we fight for.
"As somebody who is a mum and a member of Parliament, I found [Nash's] comments offensive. I know how hard it is to do both of those jobs."
Green MP Julie-Anne Genter has had two babies while in Parliament - one of them, two months after Dame Jacinda.
"We want our House, our House of Parliament to look like the rest of New Zealand, and if you're missing out on parents of young children, then you're missing out on a really important perspective in your representation.”
Genter was glad Luxon condemned Nash's comments."I'd like to see him do that more with other misogynistic and homophobic and racist comments from some of his cabinet colleagues."
Speaking to media on Thursday, Luxon said Nash had a history of "pretty derogatory language towards women" and believed he owned Nimon a public apology.”
"He did the right thing resigning.”
