KEY POINTS:
Labour wants National to publish the bills it says it will introduce to Parliament before Christmas if it wins the election.
National's leader, John Key, yesterday set out a challenging legislative timetable for a National-led government.
His "first 100 days in government" include passing tax cuts which will come into force in April 2009 and taking through Parliament a transitional relief package to help people worst hit by redundancy as a result of the economic slowdown.
He also intends introducing at least seven big bills dealing with violent offenders, criminal gangs and youth crime, DNA testing for every person arrested for an imprisonable offence and increased police powers to protect domestic violence victims.
There will also be legislation to streamline the Resource Management Act, one of National's most important promises.
"We want to hit the ground running," he told reporters.
Labour's environment spokesman, Trevor Mallard, said if National had the bills ready for introduction it should publish them now so the public could see exactly what it intended doing.
"If it has nothing to hide, it should show voters its bills," Mr Mallard said.
"Public input (under the RMA) cannot be preserved under National's proposals - they are just too scared to tell you that."
Mr Key told reporters in Rotorua yesterday his new government would hit the ground running.
"Whether it is the economy, law and order, health or education we are committed to following through on the promises we have made and to do that as quickly as we possibly can."
He said the precise timetable would depend on how long it took to form a new government and how much sitting time Parliament had before the Christmas recess.
Also on Mr Key's fast track will be ordering full 12-month courses of the cancer drug Herceptin to be available, calling in the chief executives of government departments to tell them he wants a line-by-line review of their spending and an "opening of the books" on hospital waiting lists.
Mr Key will also order his ministers to start work on changing regulations covering numerous health and education issues, including national standards for literacy and numeracy.
Further down the track he will be dealing with the Electoral Finance Act and the Emissions Trading Scheme.
"There are big challenges ahead," Mr Key said.
"National has a comprehensive plan to tackle the issues that matter to New Zealanders. Our policies have been fully costed and funded."
- NZPA
