Nikki Kaye: 'She achieved a remarkable amount in 44 years'

Nikki Kaye is being remembered for the life she packed into her unexpectedly short 44 years, and as one of the bravest Parliamentarians New Zealand has ever known.

The former National MP and Cabinet minister entered Parliament in 2008 after winning the Labour-stronghold seat of Auckland Central - the first National MP to ever do so.

Kaye died at the weekend after a long battle with cancer that began in 2016, forcing her at the time to take a break from politics while she received cancer treatment.

Sir John Key, who was prime minister at the time, told RNZ Kaye's diagnosis was much worse than either of them let on publicly at the time.

While it was announced she had breast cancer, in reality, Sir John said it had already spread far more widely - prompting Kaye to offer her resignation.

"I said, 'No you're not going to do that, if you had a young family and a husband or something I'd probably go and tell you to spend that time but your life has been a dedication to politics and I think that will give you the strength to get through what you're going to face over the next six or 12 months of treatment, and then come back'," Key recalled saying when he spoke to RNZ on Tuesday.

"I think that was honestly the right call."

Sir John said returning to work despite her poor health was important to Kaye and gave her a purpose, which helped her survive almost another decade.

"She needed a purpose and she's always had that in her life and it helped a lot. While it's incredibly sad we've been robbed of someone at just 44 years of age, on the other side of the coin, I'd say it's very true she measured the life out of the years not the years out of the life. She achieved a remarkable amount in 44 years."

Kaye held onto the Auckland Central seat that catapulted her into political life for the 12 years she was an MP.

Long-time friend and National Party pollster David Farrar told her she would never win the seat, but told RNZ like most things with Kaye, if you said she could not do something, she would go ahead and prove you wrong.

Sir John also knew winning that seat would be an uphill battle but recognised if anyone could pull it off, it would be Kaye.

"Her personal beliefs were aligned to a lot of the voters in that electorate. Her electorate work was phenomenal and she just worked morning, noon, and night.

"I think many of the voters who voted for her didn't give their party vote to National, I think they voted for Nikki Kaye not because of our government, but in spite of it."

Within the National Party caucus Kaye was economically conservative and socially liberal and those political leanings saw her closely connect with similarly-minded MPs in the caucus.

National Deputy Leader Nicola Willis was one of those people.

"There was something that burned in her to help others, and she went to great lengths to do, even when it was against her personal or political interests to do so," she told RNZ.

Kaye worked hard for education, gay marriage and adoption, and the environment while in politics, even crossing the floor to do so on the issue of mining on Great Barrier Island.

That ability to work with any MP or constituent, whatever their politics, made her an asset in Sir John's caucus and Cabinet.

He said having a broadchurch was always important and Kaye was an obvious person to promote as a minister because of her different perspectives on issues, which she would always fight hard for.

Former National Party president Michelle Boag saw her as very "non-political".

"She treated everybody the same. She wasn't the least bit tribal, but she understood politics really well, so she understood how far she could push things when she was advocating for a cause."

Boag first met Kaye when she was 17, and described her as a natural leader.

The pair were forever close, with Kaye once describing her in an interview as her "second mum" - something Boag told RNZ was probably due to her being the one who "told her off more".

Boag said the environment was right at the top of Kaye's priority list and her legacy would live on in the establishment of her latest organisation, Blue Nature, which is focused on the sustainability of the oceans.

It was almost inevitable that Kaye would spend her years post-politics living mostly on Great Barrier Island, a place she came to love when she regularly visited it as part of her electorate work.

Just two months ago, Kaye posted on social media photos with friends who were visiting her on the island, and her athleticism and love of nature made Great Barrier a logical home.

Kaye would tell the story of her old PE school teacher who said she would never be a runner - she went on to run multiple marathons and competed in several Coast to Coasts.

During her time as minister, Kaye had responsibilities for education, ACC, Civil Defence, food safety, immigration, and youth affairs.

Before leaving politics she did a short stint as deputy leader after her close friend Todd Muller won a leadership contest over Simon Bridges in 2020.

When Muller quit after 53 days, Kaye immediately announced her resignation from politics.

Like MPs past and present from across the political divide, Muller remembers a remarkable woman who had a wide-reaching impact on so many people.

Just three weeks ago, Sir John had a long catch-up with Kaye.

"She described herself as quite a spiritual person, she felt very much at peace with her life and what she'd achieved and she was in a good space ... but that doesn't make it any easier for those of us who knew her well who are going to miss her deeply."

As organised as she was in life, Kaye had also given clear instructions about her death.

Boag said she asked that family communicate things to her close friends, and she asked for a small but immediate cremation that only her family were to attend.

"It was typical Nikki, she was controlling everything from the grave, that was just Nikki.

"She was so strong, so courageous, so loyal, she was a really good person."

In her valedictory speech in July 2020, Kaye made no mention of the cancer diagnosis she was still battling.

She did, however, send a message to those Parliamentarians given the honour of public service. These are the final words from Kaye, who lived a very full life from 1980-2024.

"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.

"I've been fortunate to be supported by a number of strong, smart, and caring women: Jenny Shipley, Ruth Richardson, Katherine Rich, and Amy Adams. Each of you have been so generous with your time and wisdom in critical moments where I needed a dose of courage and compassion.

"To the Parliamentarians: Don't be arrogant or entitled. This is public service. I have been proud to have been a public servant of New Zealand. I love our country and I hope to continue to contribute more in the future. Haere rā."

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.