KEY POINTS:
3.36pm: Dail Jones, the New Zealand First MP who earlier this year revealed to reporters his party had received an anonymous donation of almost $100,000, has dropped to 14th on the NZ First party list. Jones' comments ignited a firestorm of speculation that the donation had come from billionaire Owen Glenn. It was subsequently revealed that Mr Glenn had given $100,000 towards Winston Peters' legal costs in his failed 2005 Tauranga electoral petition, leading to Parliament censuring Mr Peters for failing to declare it. Mr Jones, who was ranked 10th on the party's 2005 list, returned to Parliament last year when the late Brian Donnelly retired and the two candidates above him decided not to enter Parliament.
- NZPA
2.18pm: The Green Party has launched its plan to give Auckland a world-class public transport system. Green MPs gathered outside the Britomart Transport Centre in downtown Auckland to announce the transport policy, with MP Keith Locke arriving on his bike and his colleague Sue Kedgley taking the train. The Greens want a triple loop train system linking Auckland city suburbs with the CBD. They also want $1 fares during off peak times and a single electronic ticketing system. The party says all this can be funded by shifting investment out of new motorways.
- Newstalk ZB
2.11pm: The Chief Electoral Office has published a list of all parties and candidates contesting next month's election. Overall, there are 58 fewer candidates than in 2005 and six of the 19 registered parties are contesting the election for the first time. The six new parties are: the Residents Action Movement, the Bill and Ben Party, the Family Party, the Kiwi Party, the New Zealand Pacific Party and the Workers Party.
- NZPA
1.42pm: Labour says it would let low-income people build houses on Crown land in a bid to improve housing affordability. The policy to make Government owned land available for housing would result in low income people paying for the building of their house on the land. Prime Minister Helen Clark said the move would dramatically drop the cost of a home. The scheme was similar to one proposed by National, but under National's policy the home owner would eventually be able to buy the land. Miss Clark said Labour would not allow the land to be sold and they wished the home to remain affordable into the future.
- NZPA
11.45am: National says if elected it would direct the Super Fund to aim to invest 40 per cent of its funds in New Zealand. John Key announced today that he would legislate for the fund to have at least a 40 per cent target in a range of assets including bonds to fund large infrastructure projects. The manoeuvre is a stronger one than that of Labour, which yesterday announced it would look at changes in policy to encourage the Super Fund to invest more in New Zealand. However Labour's finance spokesman Michael Cullen stopped short of saying he would direct the fund to do so.
- Paula Oliver
10.32am: The Greens are rolling out Whale Rider star Rawiri Paratene to woo New Zealand voters living in London. Mr Paratene is standing as the party's candidate in the Maungakiekie electorate, but is joining two Green candidates who are resident in London to help them campaign there for the week. Most political parties put some effort into chasing the votes of New Zealanders who live overseas, particularly in Australia and Britain.
- NZPA
10.15am: New Zealand's oldest MP, Jim Anderton, has confirmed to Christchurch's Press newspaper that he will serve a three-year term even if he doesn't get to be part of the next Government.
"It's unfair to put people through an election and if you don't win it you say, 'Oh well, I'm out of here', and you have another one. That's just ridiculous," he said.
- NZPA
10.00am: The Green and Act parties are set to outline some of their main campaign aspirations today. The Greens are due to announce their transport policy for Auckland, with electrification of the rail network and full integration of the track system likely to be outlined as a high priority. Act will launch its economic policy in Wellington with Sir Roger Douglas giving his prescription for what he sees as the cure to the country's economic woes.
- Newstalk ZB
09.50am: The Maori Party is standing firmly behind its policy to abolish the unemployment benefit and replace it with a community-based scheme to get people working. Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia says 40 per cent of people currently receiving the dole are Maori but unless they are sick or have children, they should be working. Mrs Turia says the work scheme is important for both the spirit of Maori and to develop a strong work ethic. The party is also calling for the first $25,000 of a person's earnings to be tax-free and for the capping of state house rentals.
- Newstalk ZB
