Clark to outline policy thrust

Helen Clark will highlight the three key themes dominating the Government's work agenda in a no-surprises speech delivered when Parliament resumes for the year tomorrow.

The three themes are: taking the next economic transformation step, building opportunity and security for families and building a unique national identity.

"It's a very forward-leaning speech. It outlines the large work programme for the year," a spokesman for the Prime Minister said yesterday.

Helen Clark, who returns from South Africa today, is expected to use the speech to continue to highlight the need to raise productivity levels and upskill the workforce.

The Government is committed to creating more apprenticeships and greater eligibility for student loans.

She will also detail Labour's "family-friendly" policies. They include Working for Families, an array of earlier childhood initiatives, extensions to the paid parental leave scheme, the introduction of Well Child health checks and new home-owning proposals.

She is also set to stress the Government's desire to boost high-speed internet use, sending another strong signal that regulation against Telecom's monopoly over the internet is likely.

Last week she said there was a "compelling case" for change, the strongest sign yet there would be an overhaul.

The Government's business taxation review plans and the need for more science and research funding will also be restated in the speech, which the spokesman said would set out clear objectives but contain no surprises.

Helen Clark used her "speech from the throne" in November to map out her third-term plans.

National deputy leader Gerry Brownlee said leader Don Brash had used his Orewa speech to "indicate the big deal this year was the economy" and he expected Labour to follow that lead.

"Our argument strongly is that we have set the agenda on most issues for nearly two years and we don't see that changing. I would expect Helen Clark's speech will indicate they are responding to that political call."

He said Helen Clark had talked "in vague terms about the economy for three years. Economic transition is an old buzzword of hers; 'The economy continues its transition'. Well from where to what? Because if it is from where we were a couple of years ago to where we are now, it's a staggering failure."