KEY POINTS:
National leader John Key is claiming he has already released 14 policies, as pressure mounts for his party to give more detail of its intentions - but Labour is rubbishing his claim.
In response to questioning about when National would start revealing its policies, Mr Key yesterday said that in fact 14 had already been announced and people knew to also expect things like tax cuts.
Those policies include a $1.5 billion broadband push and a multi-pronged youth justice and education policy package.
Another - a reference to home affordability made at National's annual conference last year - is not yet very detailed but Mr Key defended this and said more would come in a formal release of housing policy.
"While I would accept that in certain areas there's more detailed formal announcement to follow, I don't think that New Zealanders are confused about the policy direction we're heading in," Mr Key said.
National is gearing up to reveal more over the next month or so in speeches, and Mr Key said there would be announcements as frequently as daily during the election campaign.
Labour is trying to ratchet up pressure on National over policy as it trails by 15.3 points in the Herald-DigiPoll survey.
National's lead comes despite the party having yet to announce several major policies, including the detail of its tax cuts, its final plans in the crucial area of health, and financial details such as how much debt it is prepared to stomach on the Crown's balance sheet.
Finance Minister Michael Cullen laughed at Mr Key's list labelling them a "motley bunch of vague promises, yawning gaps and gimmicks".
"At the moment they are all vague, uncosted, and lacking even the most basic detail," Dr Cullen told the Herald. "National's housing affordability 'policy' is a perfect example - there is no rigour, just a few cliches thrown together."
Dr Cullen said Labour had made its plans clear and people knew its policies and how they would be paid for.
National should, and would, be held to account in coming months, he said.
But Mr Key said National would stick to its own timetable for releasing policy. It had already announced more than Labour did in Opposition in 1999, he said.
Meanwhile, Labour has added some more spending promises to its list following the Budget, further boosting its reading on the Herald's Porkometer.
The new releases include a $69 million funding boost over five years for the redevelopment of the National Library, and almost $2 million over four years for Archives New Zealand to establish a record-keeping audit programme.
Another $40 million over five years has also been pledged for the Sanitary Works Subsidy Scheme, which helps cover capital costs of sewerage and drinking water fluoridation for small, largely rural communities.
THE PROPOSALS ANNOUNCED SO FAR
* Backing community groups. A mixture of detailed tax and funding changes to help boost community groups.
* Setting national standards in reading, writing and numeracy. They will describe all the things children should be able to do by a particular age or year at school.
* Trades training in schools. A package of measures, including piloting a school-based apprenticeships scheme, funding select schools to run trades academies, and giving schools flexibility to run trades training classes outside their school gates.
* Police. Introduce Tasers, subject to positive evaluation of the trial. Require DNA samples to be taken from all those arrested for offences punishable by imprisonment. Give police ability to issue temporary, on the spot protection orders.
* Gangs and drugs. Various law changes, including strengthening provisions that make it illegal to be a member of a criminal organisation. Amending laws to make police surveillance on gangs easier, and changing sentencing laws to make gang membership an aggravating factor.
* Broadband. A commitment to spend up to $1.5 billion over six years to help fund an ultra-high speed fibre network.
* Public service. Cap the number of core civil servants at 36,000, delivering savings of up to $500 million over three years.
* Youth guarantee. To provide a universal education entitlement for all aged 16 and 17, allowing them to access free study towards school-level qualifications at approved institutions.
* Youth justice. Measures including extending Youth Court's jurisdiction to deal with 12- and 13-year-olds accused of serious offences. Boot camp-style programmes for youths who aren't bad enough to be put in a residential facility but who need intervention. Longer sentences in residential facilities for worst offenders.
* Victims levy. Anyone who breaks the law will have to pay $50 towards victims' costs such as travel to court and counselling.
* Student loans. Adoption of Labour's interest-free student loans policy. Introduce an incentive to get people to pay back loans faster. Give a 10 per cent bonus for voluntary lump-sum payments of $500 or more.
* SOEs. No state asset sales or partial selldowns in first term of a National Government.
* Leave nuclear-free law as is, target aid at Pacific region, write a White Paper on defence budget and military equipment requirements in first-term.
* Housing. State house dwellers can buy their homes. Maintain state housing numbers. Tax cuts, removal of red tape, changes to Resource Management Act to free up land and help affordability.
