Labour members standing by

Helen Clark (front left) and her caretaking ministers are preparing to announce governing arrangements. Picture / Mark Mitchell

The Labour caucus is on standby to go to Wellington this week to approve the arrangements for a new Labour-led Government and to elect MPs to the Cabinet.

MPs have been told to be on standby from today but talks were not advanced enough by yesterday afternoon to hold the caucus.

They are on standby for a meeting tomorrow though Green co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons believes that that may be too ambitious.

"If it were just us and Labour we might be there by then, but it's not just a question of how long it takes us."

Labour was dealing with all the other parties too - New Zealand First, the Maori Party and United Future. The Greens hope to meet Prime Minister Helen Clark today.

Jeanette Fitzsimons confirmed last night that the Greens still held out hope for a place in a coalition with Labour, though that would cost Labour the support of United Future.

"That's still on the table," she said.

"The possibility is still there."

She said the discussion going on at present were over policy.

Helen Clark yesterday said there had been a great deal of activity at chief of staff level but it was too early to say what the shape of the Government would be.

"We're trying to work across parties to get an arrangement that an inclusive group can deal with and it's too early for me to say what the shape of that will be," she said on TV One's Breakfast show.

Helen Clark also said that New Zealand First leader Winston Peters had neither sought nor been offered the post of attorney-general.

She did not offer any comment on a Herald claim that Mr Peters had been offered a ministerial post in order to try to get votes of support from New Zealand First's seven MPs.