PM opts for last session of Parliament before poll

Parliament is set to have a final session beginning on September 23, Prime Minister Helen Clark said yesterday.

There had been some speculation that this week's sitting of Parliament could be the last before the election, but Helen Clark said yesterday that was not her plan.

"It is our intention to be back on the 23rd [of September] ... we are certainly not intending this to be our last week."

She would not say how long the final session of Parliament would last and said she had "no news" to share when asked about the election date.

Confirmation Parliament would convene for a final session all but ruled out an election being held on October 18, unless Helen Clark wanted to have a short formal election campaign of less than four weeks

This Parliament will expire on October 6 and an election must be held by November 15.

Dissolving Parliament before that time and setting the election date is entirely the choice of the Prime Minister.

Many observers are selecting November 8 as election day.

This week the Government is planning to pass the centrepiece of its climate change policy - the emission trading scheme bill (ETS). It still has to complete its committee stage and it is expected to be given its third reading tomorrow.

The Prime Minister also confirmed that the Government would be adopting the Greens' Waste Minimisation Bill to ensure it passed before Parliament wound up.

Labour was relying on support from NZ First and the Greens to pass the ETS.

- NZPA