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Helen Clark outlines priorities she believes next government should focus on

September 29, 2020

Clark is co-chairing the World Health Organization’s review into global preparedness for the Covid-19 pandemic.

Former prime minister Helen Clark says New Zealand’s priorities post-election should be learning to manage Covid-19 in the absence of a silver bullet, as well as rebuilding the economy.

Clark, who is co-chairing the World Health Organization’s panel reviewing preparedness for the Covid-19 pandemic, said Kiwis need to recognise that there is no silver bullet for Covid-19.

“An election is a bit of interruption in discourse around it, [there needs to be] a recognition that this is going to be around for a while, that there is not a silver bullet vaccine solution that is 100 per cent effective and is going to 100 per cent of the world population anytime soon,” he said.

“We’re going to be managing around this disease, that will be the focus.”

An economic issue would be the other key challenge for the new Government, Clark said.

“Also looking at how you replace the lost 25 per cent of export dollar earnings because that’s what tourism and international education represented and they’re not going back to those numbers in the foreseeable future, maybe if ever,” she said.

Aspects of Kiwi life may have changed forever, said Clark, who wanted to see New Zealanders adopt some measures more commonly seen overnight.

“I think picking up some of the practices from east Asia about the widespread mask wearing is quite important,” she said.

“When you think about the way we cheerfully coughed and sneezed our way around supermarkets and public spaces with colds, we don’t have to pass these things on willy-nilly.”

“Those basic things we’ve learnt about physical distancing, about hand hygiene, about having good systems in place, that needs to carry on.”

With the global death toll from Covid-19 very close to 1 million, Clark said those figures were “a vast underestimate” because so many people aren’t being tested.

As part of her role co-chairing the WHO’s review into the pandemic, Clark said she was focussing on the timeline of the organisation’s response.

“The key thing for us is to establish the authoritative timeline, who did what when? Did they do it at the right time? What notice did countries take of it? What lessons can we learn and make practical recommendations for the future?”

“Neither my co-chair nor I want this to be fluffy, high-flowing statements about there needs to be more leadership or this or that, no what would have made a difference?”

Clark said both China and the USA have been “professional” in their approach to the WHO’s review.

Both are obviously very interested in the review,” Clark said wryly.

“We do have an American citizen and a Chinese citizen on the panel, not appointed by the way to represent Government view points and that’s been very, very clear.”

“We want to be fair, this is one of those times when it’s very important to have truth telling but not really blame casting.”

“We want to learn from this, we want the world to able to do better.”

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