UNITED FUTURE WILL

• Reduce the total size of the Executive (Cabinet ministers, ministers outside Cabinet, and under-secretaries) to 18 members.
• Cut the number of ministerial portfolios thereby reducing administrative costs, without any loss in service.
• Institute performance agreements for ministers.
• Create a Register of Interests for all members of Parliament.
• Unite the employing functions of the Parliamentary Service.
• Better resource parliamentary select committees and ensure their independence from the Executive.
• Group government departments by function to avoid duplication of effort and to ensure co-ordination of both departmental and ministerial activities.
• Reduce Treasury's power by:
  • separating Treasury's control function and policy advice roles, with the Treasury assuming the primary responsibility for economic policy advice
  • establishing a new Department of Finance and Revenue, incorporating both the Inland Revenue Department and the Customs revenue service, to oversee government financial management.
• Review the role of the State Services Commission.
• Re-examine the roles of government agencies and state owned enterprises with a view to incorporating their functions into existing agencies. Review the State Owned Enterprises Act to ensure that objectives are still relevant.
• Restrict government's coercive powers. Review all legislation covering the operations and statutory powers of state owned enterprises, producer boards, hospitals, and other bodies exercising coercive or regulatory powers on behalf of the Crown to determine whether those powers and functions continue to be necessary.
• Hold another referendum on MMP in 2001 and implement the results in time for the next General Election in October 2002.
• Instruct a select committee to review the number of members of Parliament and the rules governing the role of list MPs.

• A reduced Executive.
• Fewer ministerial portfolios.
• Performance agreements for ministers.
• A Register of Interests for MPs.
• A unified Parliamentary Service.
• Better resourcing of select committees to ensure their independence from the Executive.
• A reduction in Treasury's power.
• Re-examination of the role of government agencies and SOEs.
• Restriction of government's coercive powers.
• A referendum on MMP in 2001.
• A review of the number of MPs and the role of list MPs.