9.3 Moving on Te neke whakamua

The story we have just sketched out is not simply a recital of events: like all narratives, it invites us to draw meaning from what happened, to see patterns and themes, and to recognise the significance of things that may not have been noticed at the time. As commissioners charged with understanding the past so the country is better prepared for the future, we have been immersed in this story for the past two years. In essence, this is what it tells us should happen in an effective pandemic response:

• put people at the centre of the response, protecting them as much as possible from the pandemic’s direct harms while also minimising negative impacts on other aspects of their lives;
• make good decisions that look after people – while also weighing up different options, considering a range of factors, and being transparent about necessary trade-offs;
• build resilience into the country’s health, economic and social systems to ensure there is sufficient capacity to respond to the increased demands of a pandemic;
• work in partnership – build, nurture and deploy strong relationships and partnerships that make the best use of diverse skills, experience, leadership and connections;
• get the fundamentals in place – ensuring there is effective all-of-government preparation and planning for responding to pandemics and other national risks.

With these high-level ‘takeaways’ in mind, we turn to the lessons for the future and the recommendations which give effect to them.