Highet tried to enlist in the New Zealand Army in World War II, but was declined due to having suffered from tuberculosis in the 1930s.

Highet's opponent, Labour candidate Frank Kitts, went on to win the seat, and later became the longest-serving Mayor of Wellington.

In 1960 he became general manager of L. J. Fisher and Co., Ltd and in 1962 he succeeded Hugh Watt to become executive director of the Auckland City Development Association.

Highet was particularly well regarded for his interest in the arts and sport, having been an opera singer and representative sportsman in his youth.

[4] In 1977, Highet introduced the expression "Think Big" in a speech to a National Party Conference, as a description of the government's then-ambitious major projects in the energy sector.

Highet was Sports Minister when cabinet decided to support the United States-led boycott to the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

Government stepped in and threatened the New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (NZOCGA) with funding cuts and cancelled leave for competitors who were in the public service.

While Prime Minister Muldoon announced that the New Zealand Government would not intervene to stop the tour going ahead, Highet made public statements indicating that he could use his authority as Internal Affairs Minister, responsible for lotteries funding, to withdraw financial contributions to the New Zealand Rugby Union if the Tour proceeded.

[citation needed] Highet suffered grave illness in early 1984, one of the reasons Muldoon called a snap election.