THEY HAD A PLAN.

My Labour mates' favourite phrases leading up to the election were - " National hasn't got any policies - They haven't got a plan - They have no idea what they will do if they get in. "

Well this week has shut the buggers up. Herceptin by Friday - 90 day trial for workers by the end of the week. Tax cuts bedded in and life saving parole conditions for violent offenders and a word to Public Service CE's to sort out their spending, line by bloody line.

And MP's are working hard and long hours . Labour look like a bunch of lemon sucking sour pusses. Whats worse for them is there is still all this to come :

•

Updating and publishing the economic and fiscal forecasts to gauge the true state of the government’s books and determine the on-going effects of the international economic crisis.

• The introduction of an RMA reform bill to reduce the costs, delays, and uncertainties in the Act.

• The introduction and passage of National’s transitional relief package into law to offer extra assistance to Kiwis who are worst hit by redundancy.

• Introduce legislation to clamp down on criminal gangs and their drug trade.

• Introduce legislation to toughen the bail laws to make it harder for criminals awaiting trial to get bail.

• Introduce legislation to tackle increasing violent youth crime by bolstering the Youth Court with a range of new interventions and sentences.

• Introduce legislation to require DNA testing for every person arrested for an imprisonable offence.

• Introduce legislation to give police the power to issue on-the-spot protection orders to help them protect victims of domestic violence.

• Introduce legislation to compensate victims by levying criminals and putting the money into a Victims Compensation Scheme.

• Amend the Education Act 1989 so the Minister of Education can set agreed National Standards in literacy and numeracy.

• Publish requirements for primary and intermediate schools to report to parents in plain English about how their child is doing compared to the set National Standards, and compared to other children their age.

• Begin work on allocating the additional $500 million capital investment in schools in preparation for our first Budget to start future-proofing our schools.

• Introduce a “voluntary bonding” scheme which offers student loan debt write-offs to graduate teachers who agree to work in hard-to-staff communities or subjects.

• Amend the Education Act 1989 to increase the current fines for parents of truant children from $150 and $400 for first time and repeat offenders respectively, and allow the Ministry of Education to take prosecutions.

• Instruct the Ministry of Health and DHBs to halt the growth in health bureaucracy.

• Open the books on the true state of hospital waiting lists and the crisis in services.

• Fast-track funding for 24-hour Plunketline.

• Begin implementing National’s Tackling Waiting Lists plan.

• Establish a “voluntary bonding scheme" offering student loan debt write-off to graduate doctors, nurses, and midwives agreeing to work in hard-to-staff communities or specialties.

Not a bad effort for the first month without a plan, huh .