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Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp is being remembered as a “beautiful soul” dedicated to helping young people in South Auckland and a “wonderful community leader” in her Tāmaki Makaurau electorate who was looking forward to the next election.

The MP died early Thursday morning, aged 50. She was battling kidney disease.

Te Pāti Māori say they are heartbroken by the news, recognising how Kemp continued to work in Parliament, at her marae and in her community while also battling serious illness. She was on the Te Pāti Māori front benches at Parliament yesterday.

“She died as she lived; fighting for the cause, in service to her iwi, hapū and whānau,” the party said.

“She was our sister and we loved her deeply.”

Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp has died aged 50 following kidney disease. Photo / Mike Scott

Her Parliamentary colleagues and friends in Labour are shocked by her unexpected death. Labour MP Peeni Henare, who contested the Auckland Māori seat against Kemp, wiped away tears as he spoke about how their friendship transcended their political competitiveness.

Kemp won the seat at the 2023 election over Henare, the incumbent, by a margin of just 42 votes.

Henare and his youth MP had spent an hour with Kemp yesterday discussing how, despite campaigning against each other, they were still close behind the scenes.

“It is truly shocking ... she called me brother, and I called her sister, and that’s how it was. It is just so sad,” Henare said.

“When I think about our sister, her passion was for our young people and ... she loved her mokopuna. We were up at Matariki on Friday, and she literally said, ‘I can’t wait to get home to my mokopuna’.”

Labour MPs, from left, Carmel Sepuloni, Peeni Henare and Willie Jackson pay tribute to Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Kemp at Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Kemp took six weeks away from Parliament in 2024 to focus on her health and wellbeing after being diagnosed with kidney disease.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who is currently in Europe, said he was “saddened” by the news.

“On behalf of the Government, our thoughts are with her whānau, friends, colleagues and the Tāmaki Makaurau community,” Luxon said.

Labour MP Arena Williams recalled meeting Kemp in 2011 when she was leading a youth dance group in Manurewa.

“It was a group of young people who, you know, had struggles with school.

“These were young women, these are young men who wanted somewhere to be themselves and to find something that they loved that was something creative and she created this space for them where they could not only come through dancing, but they could see a future in the creative arts in Aotearoa.”

Labour MPs, from left, Arena Williams, Carmel Sepuloni, Peeni Henare and Willie Jackson pay tribute to Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Kemp at Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Many of those young people went on to achieve great success, including joining Parris Goebel’s Bubblegum dance group.

“She managed to lead this group of young people on to great things and then turned that organisation into a place where they could find their driver’s licence and get into other training opportunities,” Williams said.

“She was someone who always had an open door for young people.”

Labour MP Willie Jackson said Kemp was a leader in her own right who would be remembered for her contributions to her community, including to the urban Māori movement.

“She didn’t think she was seriously ill. Every time you’d ask her [she was like] ”yeah, I’m good". A lot of our people do work through that ... I don’t think that she thought it was coming at all. It’s just that when you’re on dialysis, anything can happen.”

Labour MPs, from left, Arena Williams, Carmel Sepuloni, Peeni Henare and Willie Jackson pay tribute to Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Kemp at Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Jackson said Kemp was passionate, at times underestimated and a “beautiful soul” who could stand up for herself.

“These sorts of things are so catastrophic in many ways, but she was getting herself right, she was looking forward to the next election.

“We were having a lot of laughs about things last time we had a good korero, it was during scrutiny week, and she was scrutinising her whanaunga [relative] Tama Potaka.”

Te Pāti Māori said further details about her tangihanga and opportunities for the public to pay their respects would be shared once confirmed. The party has asked for privacy.

Kemp had recently posted on Instagram to celebrate her 50th birthday.

Acting Prime Minister David Seymour said Kemp was “gone far too soon”.

“Our thoughts are with her whānau and Te Pati Māori colleagues. Farewell, and may you rest in peace.”

Winston Peters, the Foreign Affairs Minister, said it was “very sad news” to hear of the MP’s passing.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with her whānau, family and friends at this very difficult time.”

Community advocate Dave Letele told Ryan Bridge on Herald NOW that Kemp’s death was “very sad”. He said he had been informed of the news earlier this morning.

“Before being an MP, she had done so much work in the community. And we’d worked right through Covid and vaccinations, and she was a pillar there, especially in Manurewa.”

Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism.