KEY POINTS:
National marks its first 100 days in office today with Prime Minister John Key saying the timely delivery of election promises is contributing to his Government's popularity.
Two recent polls have recorded unprecedented levels of support for National, at 56 per cent and 60 per cent.
As part
of its marketing strategy during the election campaign, National packaged a bundle of policies it would implement, introduce or get started on in its first 100 days of office.
In some ways it imitated the first days of Helen Clark's first administration in 1999 when she delivered quickly on her election promises.
Since last year's election, a raft of bills have been introduced to Parliament and announcements have been made including the repeal of the Electoral Finance Act, tax cuts and introducing incentives to keep young doctors in the country.
The last of the first 100 days commitments is to be announced tomorrow, with plans to open 20 new elective surgery theatres being outlined as promised during the campaign.
Health Minister Tony Ryall is also going to use the opportunity to take a swipe at Labour over the state of hospital waiting lists, with a release of reports into how they were compiled.
Earlier this week Mr Key attributed the poll results to the public appreciating that National was doing as it promised, though the polls were done at such an early stage in the electoral cycle they have to be taken with a grain of salt.
"There's a lot of challenges sitting before us as a government and I think we're polling well because we've kept our word and we've focused on the issues that matter," Mr Key said.
There have been calls to rethink some policies in light of the recession - in particular some have called for a rethink on tax cuts, but so far ministers have stuck to their election plans.
On Friday, Mr Key will head the Jobs Summit in Auckland, where he is hoping to get new ideas to preserve and create jobs as the worldwide recession begins to bite into the New Zealand economy.
Some National's first 100 days' commitments that have been completed or begun.
* Introduce and pass National's tax package into law before Christmas, with tax cuts beginning on April 1.
* Introduce a Resource Management Act reform bill.
* Call in the public service chief executives and instruct them to undertake a line-by-line review of their department's spending.
* Introduce legislation to remove the right of the worst repeat violent offenders to be released on parole.
* Introduce legislation to toughen the bail laws to make it harder for criminals awaiting trial to get bail.
* Introduce legislation to require DNA testing for every person arrested for an imprisonable offence.
* Amend the Education Act 1989 so the Minister of Education can set agreed National Standards in literacy and numeracy.
* Begin work on allocating an additional $500 million capital investment in schools in preparation for first budget.
* Introduce a voluntary bonding scheme which offers student loan debt write-offs to graduate teachers, medical staff and veterinarians.
* Instruct that a full 12-month course of Herceptin be publicly available.
* Repeal the Electoral Finance Act 2007 and reinstate the Electoral Act 1993, with the sections relating to donations retained.
- NZPA
