Peters puts early poll questions

By JOHN ARMSTRONG

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has written to the Governor-General challenging the right of the Prime Minister to call an early election.

Mr Peters wrote to Dame Silvia Cartwright in April, asking what procedures she would adopt if Helen Clark sought an early dissolution of Parliament.

Speculation is firming that the Prime Minister will call an election for late next month or early August, three months ahead of schedule, even though opinion polls show most people do not want one so soon.

Constitutionally, Helen Clark must get the Governor-General to dissolve Parliament to set the election process in train.

In his letter, Mr Peters said he was interested in how Dame Silvia would ascertain whether an alternative combination of political support was available to ensure continued confidence and money supply up until the normal election period.

"What do you see as the obligations upon your office to exhaust all of the possibilities in the interests of political stability ahead of dissolution?"

It is expected Dame Silvia would accept the Prime Minister's advice rather than asking other parties if they could run an interim administration.