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Former prime minister Helen Clark has been invested with New Zealand's highest honour as a Member of the Order of New Zealand.
Clark, the first woman to be elected prime minister and who held office from 1999 to 2008, received the insignia formerly worn by Sonja Davies who died in 2005.
The award, announced in the New Year's honours list, is limited to 20 living New Zealanders.
At a ceremony at Government House in Auckland, governor general Sir Anand Satyanand said the order, instituted by royal warrant in 1987, was awarded "for outstanding service to the Crown and the people of New Zealand in a civil or military capacity."
"Without doubt Helen Clark's career in the national and international arena easily fits the criteria," said Anand.
"I do not believe anyone would question that Helen Clark always strived to do her best for New Zealand and New Zealanders.
"For almost nine years Helen Clark shouldered both the powers and responsibilities of being prime minister confidently and adeptly."
Only four others had held the office for longer and that spoke much of her acumen, abilities and judgement, he said.
He said the description of the prime ministerial role as "primus inter pares" - first among equals - might have applied 100 years ago but it was not a sufficient description today.
However, at the ceremony Clark spoke of the needs of others, what she can do for the world's poorest and whether enough was being done following the Haiti earthquake.
"The challenge in Haiti is horrific... We don't really have a precedent in modern times of a capital of more than three million people being brought to its knees, literally," Clark told ONE News.
"Within two weeks or so, we had people back at work paying salaries to remove rubble, and that will build up to over a quarter of a million people over the course of that programme."
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