since the objects docker is not a menu "item", I can't figure out how to create a shortcut for "create new layer". Sure would be nice, as I work with a fair amount of layers, and it's a pain to chase that down with the mouse every time I want to add another layer.
No way to add a shortcut key as far as I know, but you can easily record a macro to add a new layer and then run it with a shortcut key.