National MP Nicky Wagner is very pleased to see the Christchurch City Council is proposing anti-cruising" by-laws in the city. "It is encouraging that our city is the first to take action to implement this new anti-street racing legislation," she says.

"The Prime Minister is demanding better public services but fails to provide a plan for achieving this apart from a regime of cost cutting and demands for public service staff to do more with less," says Public Service Association national secretary Brenda Pilott.

The education sector union NZEI Te Riu Roa says the Prime Minister is clearly missing the point by promising further educational reform around an untried system of National Standards.

The Prime Minister's 2010 statement to Parliament today shows John Key has been listening to Federated Farmers prescription to grow the economy.

"New Zealand can pass Australia because we have the water and they don't," says Don Nicolson, President of Federated Farmers.

Tuesday 9 February 2010; 3.40pm

Mr Speaker, tena tatou katoa.

Our nation is marked by moments that define a generation.

Any increase in GST could impact on the New Zealand tourism industry’s international competitiveness relative to other visitor destinations, Tourism Industry Association (TIA) Chief Executive Tim Cossar says.

EDS has responded to the announcements in the Prime Minister's speech at the opening of Parliament in which he addresses the potential for mining in National Parks and other Crown owned lands.