Former National Party Minister Nikki Kaye dies, aged 44

Nikki Kaye, National Party MP for Auckland Central. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King

Former National deputy leader and cabinet minister Nikki Kaye has died aged 44.

A close friend confirmed the former MP died after a long battle with cancer.

Kaye stepped down from politics in 2020, announcing her resignation immediately after Todd Muller's shock resignation as National Party leader.

The Auckland Central MP had held the seat for 12 years.

Kaye got her first major political experience by working for Bill English when he was Leader of the Opposition in 2002.

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She won the Auckland Central seat after defeating Labour's Judith Tizard at the 2008 election, becoming the first National MP to ever win the seat.

During her valedictory, Kaye said winning the seat had been "one of the best nights of my life but also challenging".

"The life of a good MP comes with duty, responsibility, and extraordinary sacrifice," she said, after revealing a split with her longtime partner who did not want to be an MP's spouse.

In January 2013 she was appointed to Cabinet by then prime minister John Key, eventually holding ministerial (and associate) responsibilities for ACC, Civil Defence, Education, Food Safety, Immigration, Youth and Youth Affairs over the next seven years.

In 2016, Kaye took leave after being diagnosed with breast cancer at 36 years old. Her health meant she almost couldn't take up the role of Education Minister, which she regarded as one of her greatest political achievements.

During her valedictory speech to Parliament in July 2020, she said it almost didn't happen after her world "broke" when she was diagnosed with cancer.

"I tried to resign, the only reason that I was able to become Minister of Education was that John Key, as I cried my eyes out, said, you're not f***ing going anywhere," she said as the House filled with laughter.

She returned to Parliament and her Ministerial roles in 2017 after successful treatment.

Kaye became the deputy leader of the National Party in May 2020 when Todd Muller took over from Simon Bridges as leader.

She was always on the more liberal side of the National Party, voting in favour of MP Louisa Wall's Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Act 2013, allowing same-sex couples to legally marry.

As a blue green politician, she sometimes had to go against the grain - as she outlined in her valedictory.

"Whether it has been my opposition to my own party's proposals of mining on Great Barrier, which saw thousands of people marching down Queen Street, or progressing marine protection in the Hauraki Gulf, I have fought for my party and my country to do more for our environment inside and outside the caucus room," she said.

After announcing her decision to quit politics, she told Nine to Noon: "I don't see life as a situation whereby you can always plan things and my view is that you have to live every moment and I have given everything to the party and the country," she said in tears.

"You have to know when your time is up and you've given it your all."

She had been through "a hell of a lot with breast cancer," she said, during the same interview.

A sense of compassion for people and helping provide an equality of opportunity were among her motives for becoming an MP, she said.

"It's also about fighting for freedom, whether it's same-sex marriage, whether it's the euthanasia debate, I've been a strong voice of freedom."

She was once called a glorified social worker. "I love the individual difference that I have made as a member of Parliament for Auckland Central."

Having spent all her adult life serving the public, Kaye said she was looking forward to "being a hippy on Great Barrier".

Kaye's death has been acknowledged with a host of tributes from across the political spectrum.

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