Unlikely pairing Helen Clark, Sir John Key let go of political differences for kiwi conservation

March 24, 2021

Political opponents Helen Clark and Sir John Key have teamed up in the name of conservation.

Helen Clark and Sir John Key have let go of political differences to form an unlikely pairing in support of the national bird.

The former prime ministers released seven kiwi into the wild, including one fittingly named Ardern.

“It’s quite emotional. You take this kiwi and then you sort of shove it into the burrow and you're thinking is it going survive. It’s a bit like saying goodbye to your kids, I suppose. Is it going to survive out here with the predators?” Clark said.

Laughing, Clark said she got involved in the project “because John asked me to”. 

The charity Kiwis for Kiwi made the political icons joint patrons to help save New Zealand's national bird.

Sir John said he hopes the alliance serves as inspiration to others. 

“If we can come together then people can see, well if we're working on it they can work on it,” he explained.

“We've got to stop the decline and we've got to increase the population.”

Last year, the charity received funding from the Government's Covid-19 Recovery and Response fund.

“That’s a one off — you need long-term sustained effort to stop what has been a steady decline of kiwi numbers,” Sir John said.

Sharing a passion for the same cause for once, they're hoping to raise $20 million for kiwi conservation over the next five years.

Key even hinted at future collaborations.

"It doesn't even solely just have to be for kiwis... joining hands together for issues that are of national significance," he said.

It's perhaps the first of many missions for the dynamic duo.

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