Wikipedia

Nikki Kaye

Nicola Laura Kaye[1] (11 February 1980 – 23 November 2024) was a New Zealand politician who served as Deputy Leader of the New Zealand National Party and Deputy Leader of the Opposition from 22 May 2020 to 14 July 2020.

The Honourable
Nikki Kaye
Kaye in 2017
Deputy Leader of the Opposition
In office
22 May 2020 – 14 July 2020
LeaderTodd Muller
Preceded byPaula Bennett
Succeeded byGerry Brownlee
Deputy Leader of the National Party
In office
22 May 2020 – 14 July 2020
LeaderTodd Muller
Preceded byPaula Bennett
Succeeded byGerry Brownlee
46th Minister of Education
In office
2 May 2017 – 26 October 2017
Prime MinisterBill English
Preceded byHekia Parata
Succeeded byChris Hipkins
13th Minister for Youth
In office
31 January 2013 – 26 October 2017
Prime MinisterJohn Key
Bill English
Preceded byPaula Bennett
Succeeded byPeeni Henare
11th Minister for ACC
In office
6 October 2014 – 20 December 2016
Prime MinisterJohn Key
Bill English
Preceded byJudith Collins
Succeeded byMichael Woodhouse
22nd Minister of Civil Defence
In office
22 January 2013 – 20 December 2016
Prime MinisterJohn Key
Bill English
Preceded byChris Tremain
Succeeded byGerry Brownlee
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Auckland Central
In office
8 November 2008 – 6 September 2020
Preceded byJudith Tizard
Succeeded byChlöe Swarbrick
Majority1,497 (4.38%)
Personal details
Born(1980-02-11)11 February 1980
Auckland, New Zealand
Died23 November 2024(2024-11-23) (aged 44)
Political partyNational Party
Alma materUniversity of Otago
Victoria University of Wellington
Websitewww.nikkikaye.co.nz

Kaye served as the member of the New Zealand Parliament for the Auckland Central electorate from 2008 until 2020. In January 2013, she was appointed to the Cabinet by Prime Minister John Key, giving her the portfolios of Food Safety, Civil Defence, and Youth Affairs, and Associate Minister of Education and Immigration. In September 2016, she took sick leave from the House of Representatives for breast cancer treatment[2] and returned to Parliament in early 2017 to resume full duties.[3] Kaye announced on 16 July 2020 she was leaving politics at the 2020 general election. She died of breast cancer in November 2024.

Early life

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Kaye was born in Auckland and grew up in Epsom and Kohimarama.[4] Kaye's parents separated when she was seven years old.[5]

She was educated at Victoria Avenue Primary School, Remuera Intermediate School, and Corran School (where she was head prefect), before earning a science degree in genetics from the University of Otago, where she also began her Bachelor of Laws. She would later complete her law degree in Wellington.[6][4][7]

Kaye was an accomplished competitive athlete, having been the Auckland Women's 3,000 m running champion in 1997, and has raced in numerous marathons and multi-sport events. In 2008 Kaye competed in the Coast to Coast multi-sport event. In February 2013, Kaye completed the Coast to Coast race a second time, becoming the first New Zealand Cabinet Minister to do so.[8]

In 1997, Kaye participated in a television documentary called Fish out of Water, in which she and five other teenagers were marooned on Rakitu Island (off Great Barrier Island) and fended for themselves for eight days.[4] The documentary footage was located in March 2014 and was published on New Zealand on Air's on-line archive NZ On Screen as part of its "before they were famous" series.[9]

Kaye joined the National Party in 1998, becoming women's vice-chair of the southern region of the New Zealand Young Nationals. She was an International Vice-Chairman of the International Young Democrat Union.[10]

Kaye began working for Bill English in the office of the Leader of the Opposition in 2002 as a policy researcher. In 2003 she travelled to the United Kingdom, where she worked as a policy officer and project manager at the London boroughs of Enfield and Bromley, and then at Transport for London, where she managed a disabled people transport program, before working as an IT project manager at the Halifax Bank of Scotland.[4]

Kaye founded a company, networkme.com, which develops software to help organisations identify candidates for volunteer and paid positions.[11]

Member of Parliament

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New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2008–2011 49th Auckland Central 57 National
2011–2014 50th Auckland Central 33 National
2014–2017 51st Auckland Central 19 National
2017–2020 52nd Auckland Central 13 National

Kaye returned to New Zealand in late 2007 to contest the National Party candidacy for the Auckland Central electorate. Standing against three other nominees, Kaye was considered[by whom?] an outsider in a close selection battle against sitting list MP Jackie Blue for the nomination.[12]

Kaye worked full-time as the National Party candidate from the time of her selection. She campaigned on improving public transport infrastructure, improving marine protection around Great Barrier Island, and taking a greater interest in small businesses in Auckland. During her campaign she knocked on 10,000 doors.[13]

At the general election on 8 November 2008, Kaye was elected as National's MP for Auckland Central, defeating incumbent Labour MP Judith Tizard. This was greeted[by whom?] as one of the most significant upsets of the 2008 general election, breaking a 90-year hold by left-wing parties over the seat; Kaye became the first ever National MP for the electorate.[14]

First term

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Kaye with Simon Bridges and Cameron Brewer, in 2010

As an MP Kaye supported applications for the New Zealand Cycle Trail fund for routes in urban Auckland, on Waiheke Island and Great Barrier Island (the latter two islands being in her electorate as well).[15] In early 2010, she broke with the National Party's policy of encouraging mining in conservation land, including on Great Barrier – claiming long connections to the island, and fitting in with her known support for environmental causes. She had noted during her maiden speech in parliament that "Our environment is the greatest gift we have been given as a nation", and that economical considerations, especially of the short term, should not trump this.[7] Kaye was a supporter of reinstating trams for Auckland, and called for a feasibility study into extending the new Wynyard Loop.[16]

She holds up former National MP Katherine Rich as one of her role models.[4] Kaye's own policies, placing her in the socially liberal wing of the National Party,[7] have been criticised by some people in her own party, where some have called her a "high maintenance backbencher". Others have called her "obsessive", or, in a more positive vein, "driven".[7] However, commentators have argued that her stance was unlikely to hurt her in her marginal electorate, which has traditionally voted Labour.[7]

Kaye was elected the deputy chair of the Government Administration Select Committee in February 2011. In her first parliamentary term, she also sat on the Local Government and Environment Select Committee and the Auckland Governance Legislation Select Committee. Through her time in Parliament on these committees she was heavily involved in the review of the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Bill and legislation creating the Auckland Council.[17]

In May 2011, Kaye appeared in an episode of the TVNZ series Make the Politician Work. The episode featured Kaye working a shift on a rubbish collection route and highlighted her campaign for waste minimisation in Auckland.[18]

At the 2011 election, Kaye stood again in Auckland Central in a high-profile race to retain the seat. She was challenged for the seat by Labour list MP Jacinda Ardern and Green candidate Denise Roche, and was placed at position 33 on the National Party list. She defeated Ardern, although her majority was halved to 717, her share of the vote increased to 45.39%, due to significant strategic voting by Green Party voters supporting Ardern for the electorate vote.[19]

Second term

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Following the 2011 election, Kaye was elected Chair of Parliament's Education and Science Select Committee. During this time, despite a minority of Government members on the Committee, she managed to progress a significant number of inquiries and pieces of legislation through the House process.[20] At the end of 2012, the Education and Science Select Committee completed an inquiry into 21st Century Learning Environments and Digital Literacy, which Kaye championed.[21]

Kaye was instrumental in bringing a gay pride event back to Auckland,[22] where there is a significant LGBT community in her electorate. In 2012, she worked with Green MP Kevin Hague on a private member's bill to reform adoption and surrogacy laws, which was introduced to Parliament that year.[23] In August 2012, Kaye successfully led the campaign within the National Party to retain the alcohol purchase age at 18, despite significant support from parliamentary colleagues to raise the purchase age.[24]

On 29 August 2012, Kaye delivered a speech at Parliament in favour of Louisa Wall's Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Act 2013, which she voted for through all stages. This was met with a positive reception from members of the LGBT community.[25]

Third term and promotion to Cabinet Minister

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Kaye at her swearing-in as a Cabinet Minister, 2013

On 22 January 2013, Kaye was appointed by Prime Minister John Key to the Cabinet of New Zealand[26] and was appointed Minister for Food Safety, Minister of Civil Defence and Minister of Youth Affairs, along with being made the Associate Minister of Education and Associate Minister of Immigration.[27][28]

After the 2014 general election, Kaye was appointed Minister for ACC,[29] while retaining her other portfolios, except Food Safety and Associate Immigration.[30] In 2016, she took leave from Parliament and her ministerial duties while being treated for breast cancer.[31] She returned to Parliament in early 2017 to resume full duties.[3]

Kaye retained the Auckland Central seat in the 2017 election, but National was not returned to government, after failing to form a coalition with NZ First.

National Party deputy leader

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In May 2020, there was a challenge to the National Party leadership, where Todd Muller sought to replace Simon Bridges as leader of the National Party. The media reported days ahead of the vote that Kaye was understood to be Muller's running mate and was seeking to become the party's deputy leader, but she refused to confirm if she would stand, with news articles referring to her as the "presumed" candidate even hours before the vote.[32][33][34] On 22 May 2020, the party parliamentary caucus elected Muller as leader and Kaye as deputy leader.[35]

On 25 May 2020, she incorrectly described Paul Goldsmith as Māori when defending the diversity of Muller's Shadow Cabinet.[36][37] On 2 July 2020, Kaye assumed the Women's portfolio within Todd Muller's shadow cabinet after former Deputy Leader Paula Bennett announced that she would not be contesting the 2020 general election.[38][39]

Following Todd Muller's resignation as National Party leader, Kaye became acting (interim) leader for several hours.[40] Later that day, Judith Collins was elected to succeed Muller, and Gerry Brownlee replaced Kaye.[41] Kaye announced that she was leaving politics two days later, with her resignation taking effect at the October 2020 general election.[42]

In her valedictory speech in July 2020, Kaye said, "To the Parliamentarians, I've always said I believe there are two types of Parliamentarians in this place: Those that are in it for themselves and those that are in it for the country. Be the latter. Be brave and have courage. Don't leave anything in the tank."[43]

Death

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Kaye died of breast cancer on 23 November 2024, at the age of 44.[44][45]

References

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  1. ^ "New Zealand Hansard – Members Sworn [Volume:651;Page:2]". New Zealand Parliament.
  2. ^ "Auckland Central MP Nikki Kaye stands down after breast cancer diagnosis". The Aucklander. NZME. 6 September 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  3. ^ a b Sachdeva, Sam (6 December 2016). "National MP Nikki Kaye returning to full duties after breast cancer treatment". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Battle looming in Auckland Central". The New Zealand Herald. 4 May 2008. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
  5. ^ Russell, Nicola (20 April 2017). "National MP Nikki Kaye: 'Why John Key refused my resignation'". Now to Love. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  6. ^ Cronin, Aimie (19 June 2017). "Class Captain: Nikki Kaye, New Zealand's youngest female Minister of Education". New Zealand Listener. Auckland. Archived from the original on 30 May 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2020 – via Noted.
  7. ^ a b c d e Young, Audrey (27 March 2010). "Blue-green ambitions". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
  8. ^ Smith, Tony (12 February 2013). "Nikki Kaye conquers day one of Coast to Coast". Stuff. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  9. ^ "Fish out of Water (1997)". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  10. ^ "New Zealand Election Report – a victory for those who kept the faith". International Young Democrat Union. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  11. ^ Phare, Jane (26 November 2024). "Battle looming in Auckland Central". NZ Herald. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  12. ^ Watkin, Tracy (18 March 2008). "Three in running for party selection". The Dominion Post. p. A6.
  13. ^ "Nikki makes history in Auckland Central". Auckland City Harbour News. 11 November 2008. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
  14. ^ "New MP Nikki Kaye outlines priorities for Auckland Central". The New Zealand Herald. 9 November 2008. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  15. ^ Dearnaley, Mathew (11 January 2010). "Great Barrier wants cycleway link". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  16. ^ "Auckland Central MP calls for new tram line routes". Stuff.co.nz. 5 July 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
  17. ^ "Nikki Kaye – Profile". 19 April 2011.
  18. ^ "Make the Politician Work". TVNZ. 4 May 2008. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  19. ^ "Official Count Results – Auckland Central – 2011 General Election". Electoral Commission (New Zealand). 10 December 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
  20. ^ Vance, Andrea (26 January 2013). "Kaye brings energy, humanity and commitment to Cabinet". Dominion Post. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  21. ^ Fletcher, Kelsey (10 February 2013). "Welcome to the world of a teacher-less classroom". Sunday Star Times.
  22. ^ Andrew, Dickison (10 February 2013). "Speaks to National MP Nikki Kaye". Newstalk ZB. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  23. ^ Audrey, Young (28 May 2012). "Political rials unite on gay adoption laws". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  24. ^ "Q+A Debate Nikki Kaye debates with Tim McIndoe". 1News. 26 August 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  25. ^ "MPs debate same-sex marriage bill". The New Zealand Herald. 18 April 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  26. ^ "Members of Executive Council Appointed" (7 February 2013) 13 New Zealand Gazette 209 at 438.
  27. ^ "Appointment of Ministers" (7 February 2013) 13 New Zealand Gazette 209 at 238.
  28. ^ "Ministerial List for Announcement on 22 January 2013" (PDF). Beehive. 22 January 2013.
  29. ^ "Appointment of Ministers" (16 October 2014) 127 New Zealand Gazette 3475 at 3552.
  30. ^ "Resignation of Ministers" (16 October 2014) 127 New Zealand Gazette 3475 at 3551.
  31. ^ "Breast cancer diagnosis 'devastating news for me and my family' – Govt Minister Nikki Kaye". 1 News. TVNZ. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  32. ^ Trevett, Claire; Walls, Jason (20 May 2020). "National leadership coup: Todd Muller confirms he'll challenge Simon Bridges on Friday". The New Zealand Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  33. ^ Block, George (21 May 2020). "Nikki Kaye 'very busy' as she heads to Wellington with challenge vote looming". Stuff. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  34. ^ "Live: Todd Muller beats Simon Bridges in National Party leadership contest". Stuff. 22 May 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  35. ^ "Todd Muller elected National leader, Simon Bridges ends two-year reign". Stuff. 22 May 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  36. ^ Small, Zane. "Politics Nikki Kaye incorrectly describes Paul Goldsmith as Māori defending diversity of National's Shadow Cabinet". Newshub. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  37. ^ Whyte, Anna. "National's new deputy leader incorrectly describes Paul Goldsmith as Māori". TVNZ. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  38. ^ Cooke, Henry (2 July 2020). "National reshuffle: Simon Bridges gets foreign affairs role, but not a high ranking". Stuff. Archived from the original on 2 July 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  39. ^ Cheng, Derek (2 July 2020). "National's Todd Muller's first reshuffle – winners and losers revealed". New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 2 July 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  40. ^ Whyte, Anna (14 July 2020). "Nikki Kaye to serve as acting leader of National after Todd Muller's resignation". 1News. Archived from the original on 14 July 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  41. ^ Sadler, Rachel (14 July 2020). "Judith Collins announced as new National Party leader". Newshub. Archived from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  42. ^ "Live updates: Nikki Kaye quitting politics, Amy Adams follows". Radio New Zealand. 16 July 2020. Archived from the original on 15 July 2020.
  43. ^ "Nikki Kaye: 'She achieved a remarkable amount in 44 years'". RNZ. 26 November 2024. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  44. ^ "Former National Party Minister Nikki Kaye dies, aged 44". Radio New Zealand. 26 November 2024. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  45. ^ "NZ Herald Death Notices - Nikki Kaye". Legacy. 27 November 2024. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
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New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Auckland Central
2008–2020 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Deputy Leader of the National Party
2020 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Education
2017 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for ACC
2014–2016 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Civil Defence
2013–2016 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Youth
2013–2017 		Succeeded by
Deputy Leader of the Opposition
2020 		Succeeded by
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