Key points of the speech from the throne

ECONOMY

* Maintain operating surpluses to help pay for the Superannuation Fund and keep gross debt at manageable levels.

* Move monetary policy position closer to that of the Australian Reserve Bank.

* Extra support for exporters; a "beach head" programme will be established in overseas markets to create incubators for small and medium-sized businesses.

* Increased support for trade missions.

* Develop and promote Brand New Zealand, selling New Zealand as a great place to invest in, live in and visit.

* Continue push for bilateral and multilateral trade liberalisation.

* Reduce business compliance costs of regulations impacting on innovation.

* Ratify Kyoto Protocol and support research aimed at reducing emissions for agriculture.

* Promote energy efficiency and the development of renewable energy resources.

EDUCATION

* Expand literacy and numeracy programmes; ensure all early childhood staff are registered teachers within the next 10 years and establish an advisory committee on education for gifted children.

* Develop a tertiary education strategy; extend student allowances and develop a system of maximum fees and introduce scholarship and bonding arrangements.

INDUSTRY TRAINING

* Double modern apprenticeship numbers and get 250,000 people involved in industry training within five years; expand Gateway programme for secondary school students.

IMMIGRATION

* Recruit more skilled migrants, resist attempts to make migrants scapegoats for social and economic problems.

TRANSPORT

* Transit and Transfund required to take longer-term view of transport needs, all planned major projects will be reviewed, road management powers will be updated and regional councils allowed to own and operate public transport infrastructure and services.

* Improve long-term management of the rail network.

* Maintain long-term majority ownership and control of Air New Zealand, proposals to change the company's ownership profile must meet national interest and competition tests.

ENERGY

Ensure there are appropriate industry structures, governance and rules to manage electricity and gas industries effectively.

INVESTMENT

* Create single investment promotion agency, Invest New Zealand, to attract more productive foreign direct investment.

* Set up programmes to increase inbound greenfields investment, focusing on biotechnology and creative industries.

* Taxation issues relating to inbound investment will be dealt with.

* Implement Growth and Innovation framework.

* Put more resources into biotechnology, information and communications technology and the creative industries.

* Increase funding for research.

GENETIC MODIFICATION

* Lift moratorium on commercial release, maintain a strict regulatory framework and review the effectiveness of the Environmental Risk Management Authority.

ARTS AND CULTURE

* Creative Industries taskforce will ensure strategic development of sector and investigate skills shortages and industry training.

CONSERVATION

* Increase spending on biosecurity, improve protection of high country land, rivers, lakes and wetlands.

* Enact the Marine Reserves Bill and ensure that 10 per cent of the marine environment is protected by 2010.

HEALTH

* Increase spending on primary health care, cut GP costs for the poor, children and older people.

* Establish primary health organisations.

* Increase investment in mental health services and implement a comprehensive drug and youth suicide strategy.

LAW AND ORDER

* Implement crime reduction strategy, set up new programmes for high-risk young offenders including a pilot residential programme, day reporting centres, a Youth Drug Court, improve family group conferences and set up a youth crime information database.

* Pass the Victims Rights Bill, expand restorative justice pilot programmes.

HOUSING


* Buy more state houses, upgrade existing homes and establish special housing action zones.

SOCIAL SERVICES

* Simplify social assistance services, review family support and tax credit rates annually.

* Increase the maximum number of subsidised childcare hours, introduce an "abatement free zone" for people on benefits, introduce programmes to help parents return to work.

WORKPLACE

* Develop integrated and balanced family-friendly work/life programme, review Employment Relations Act, amend Holidays Act to provide extra payments for those working statutory holidays and allow for separate rights to sick and special leave.

* Review paid parental leave, with a view to extending cover to the self-employed and allowing for a longer leave period.

TREATY OF WAITANGI

* Improve process for treaty settlements but ensure integrity of process is not compromised by pushing it through too fast.

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