In her New Year message, Ms Sturgeon said:

"I wish everyone in Scotland a very happy, peaceful and prosperous New Year. I hope that 2006, pre-election year, is the year when Scotland - and our Parliament - comes of age.  It is time for everyone who cares about Scotland to engage in honest debate about our country's future.

"It is time to think, if necessary beyond the constraints of party politics, about the powers we need to make our economy one of the most successful in Europe, address our declining population and realise our enormous potential as a centre of excellence in clean technologies.

"It is time also to stake a claim to the kind of society we want to live in. The right-wing scrap between New Labour and the Old Tories south of the Border is increasingly irrelevant to Scotland.

"Scotland needs distinctive policies that will combine our traditional instinct for enterprise with our belief in society, in strong public services and equality for all.

"It is a disgrace, for example, that 30 years on from the Equal Pay and Sex Discrimination Acts, many women still face workplace discrimination and unequal pay. The challenge of putting that right is one that I believe the Scottish Parliament would rise to it if it had the power to do so. If we leave it to London, experience tells us that nothing will change.

"In 2006, the SNP intends to lead the battle of ideas about Scotland's future. We will promote a culture of independence. Freedom for our country and the chance for everyone who lives here to make the most of their own lives are ideals that go hand in hand.

"We will also argue for Scotland's voice to be heard in the world. Across the globe, too many people still live with poverty and disease and hundreds of thousands are still coping with the awful effects of the natural disasters of 2005.

"Let us hope that 2006 brings relief and the hope of a better future for all of them and that Scotland can play her part in making the world a better place to live."