Painting - Paint or stain new cedar siding?

I am a homeowner who has just completed a major renovation of my house, a 1500 sq. ft rancher (one level bungalow). I have replaced almost all of the siding with new 1 x 10 beveled, semi-smooth cedar siding. The only siding not replaced was in the car port area. The 1 x 10 siding here is fairly well sheltered from the weather and is in pretty good shape. It has been previously stained with a solid, dark brown stain. The stain is probably at least 15 years old. I did not do this and am applying a semi-educated guess that it is oil-based stain and not paint.

I have also replaced most of the wood soffits around the house with 1 x 6 channel, smooth raw pine. Some original soffit remains - same dimensions as the new installed pine soffits, but stained in the dark brown of the original siding.

I have also added a cedar deck and stairs out front and back. Added to this are 4 pressure treated 8 x 8 posts.

I am located in Vancouver, British Columbia (similar climate to Seattle - lots of rain in the winter. Sun in the summer, mostly).

I want to color the house yellow with white trim with a splash of red at 2 shingled gable ends in front and in back. I want this to last for at least 8 to 10 years before having to do it again.

Here's my questions:
1)What do you recommend for the yellow to cover the raw cedar siding? Solid color, oil based stain? Acrylic stain? Paint? How many coats? Is a primer coat required? What sort of life expectancy?

2) What about the siding in the carport that has old, dark stain currently on it. I want it to match the new color, yellow, of the siding.

3) Recommendations for the white trim? The trim is made up of new raw cedar and primed wood (pine or fir). By trim I mean fascia, deck railings and stair railings, vertical wood trim at each corner of the house, and pressure treated posts (see question 5 below).

4) What about the soffits? I want to do the soffits white, the same color as the trim. As mentioned, the soffit is mainly raw pine, but some is still the old wood with the original dark brown stain.

5) What about the pressure treated posts? They've been exposed to the weather for about 5 to 6 months. Again, I would like these to be white.

6) Any Recommendations for the deck and stair treads out front and back (4 treads each)? I am undecided whether to cover with clear stain to keep the natural color of the wood or to cover with a solid color to match either the red of the gable ends or to match the white trim. Looks are important but the practical side of me urges "go for the most long lasting."

Your help would be most appreciated.

Thanks.

Greg