KEY POINTS:
National Party leader John Key still believes October 18 is the most likely date for the election.
An election must be held by November 15.
Most pundits are picking Saturday, November 8 as that would give Labour's October 1 tax cuts time to take effect and give the party enough time to try to claw back National's poll lead.
But Mr Key today said that date would be just three days after the United States presidential election which he believed would drown out local politics for a few days.
He said November 1 was the date of the final Bledisloe Cup rugby test and October 25 was part of Labour Weekend. November 15 was also part of Christchurch's holiday show weekend.
That left October 18 as the most likely date he believed.
"I'm still running with October the 18th," Mr Key said on TVNZ's Breakfast programme.
Helen Clark has refused to be drawn on an election date.
- NZPA
