- Nikki Kaye
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Nikki Kaye 
Nikki Kaye and Prime Minister John Key at the opening of the Wynyard Quarter, 6 August 2011. Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Auckland CentralIncumbent Assumed office
8 November 2008Preceded by Judith Tizard Majority 1,497 (4.38%) Prime Minister John Key Personal details Born 11 February 1980
Auckland,
New ZealandPolitical party National Committees
- Auckland Governance Legislation
- Education and Science
- Local Government and Environment
Website http://www.nikkikaye.co.nz Nicola Laura Kaye[1] (known as Nikki Kaye, born 11 February 1980 in Auckland) is the member of the New Zealand Parliament for the Auckland Central electorate, having defeated incumbent Labour MP Judith Tizard in the 2008 election.
Contents
Early life
Growing up in Epsom and Kohimarama,[2] Kaye was educated at Corran School, where she was Head Prefect, before earning a science degree (in genetics) from University of Otago, where she also began her Bachelor of Laws, later completing it in Wellington.[2][3]
Kaye is 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 multisport event.
Kaye joined the National Party in 1998, becoming women's vice-chair of the southern region of the New Zealand Young Nationals. She is presently an International Vice-Chairman of the International Young Democrat Union.
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 Great Britain, 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.[2]
In 2006, Kaye co-founded a website, networkme.com, and acts as Director of Communications for that company.
Member of Parliament
Parliament of New Zealand Years Term Electorate List Party 2008–present 49th Auckland Central 57 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 an outsider to win a close selection battle against sitting National MP Jackie Blue for the nomination.
Kaye worked full-time as the National Party candidate from the time of her selection. Kaye campaigned on improving public transport infrastructure, improving marine protection on Great Barrier Island, and taking a greater interest in small businesses in Auckland. During her campaign she knocked on ten thousand doors.[4]
On 8 November 2008, Kaye was elected as National's MP for Auckland Central. This was greeted as one of the most significant upsets of the 2008 general election, breaking a 90-year hold by left-wing parties over the seat, and becoming the first ever National MP for the electorate.
As an MP, Kaye has, amongst other things, 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).[5] 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.[3] Kaye is a supporter of reinstating trams for Auckland, and has called for a feasibility study into extending the new Wynyard Loop.[6]
She holds up former National MP Katherine Rich as one of her role models.[2] Kaye's own policies, placing her in the socially liberal wing of the National Party,[3] have been criticised 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".[3] However, commenters have argued that her stance is unlikely to hurt her in her marginal electorate, which traditionally voted Labour.[3]
Nikki was elected the deputy chair of the Government Administration Select Committee in February 2011. She also sits on the Local Government and Environment Select Committee and the Auckland Governance Legislation Select Committee. Through her time in Parliament on these committees she has been heavily involved in the review of the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Bill and legislation creating the Auckland Council.[7]
Parliament of New Zealand Preceded by
Judith TizardMember of Parliament for Auckland Central
2008-Incumbent References
- ^ "New Zealand Hansard - Members Sworn [Volume:651;Page:2]". Parliament of New Zealand. http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/Debates/Debates/5/c/4/49HansD_20081208_00000010-Members-Sworn.htm.
- ^ a b c d "Battle looming in Auckland Central". The New Zealand Herald. 4 May 2008. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10507767&pnum=0. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
- ^ a b c d e "Blue-green ambitions". The New Zealand Herald. 27 March 2010. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10634569&pnum=0. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
- ^ "Nikki makes history in Auckland Central". Auckland City Harbour News. 11 November 2008. http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/714026. Retrieved 2011-01-06.
- ^ Dearnaley, Mathew (11 January 2010). "Great Barrier wants cycleway link". The New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10619464. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
- ^ "Auckland Central MP calls for new tram line routes". Stuff.co.nz. 5 July 2011. http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/5231079/Auckland-Central-MP-calls-for-new-tram-line-routes. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
- ^ "Nikki Kaye - Profile". 19 April 2011. http://www.nikkikaye.co.nz/profile/.
External links
- Official website
- New MP outlines priorities for Auckland Central
- Auckland Central MP's heartfelt belief
- Parliament TV - Nikki Kaye
Categories:- 1980 births
- Living people
- New Zealand National Party MPs
- University of Otago alumni
- New Zealand women in politics
- People from Auckland
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