Wellington, Nov 2 NZPA - A rough election campaign for New Zealand First leader Winston Peters just got a little bit tougher for him with one poll predicting he will be trounced in Tauranga on election day.

By Maggie Tait of NZPA Wellington, Nov 2 NZPA - National leader John Key told supporters in Upper Hutt today the public had to choose whether they wanted a National, United Future, Act Government or not -- but he did not mention the Maori Party.

One of the largest unions in the country says a survey shows a clear division between which political parties support employee rights and those wanting to take them away.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters and billionaire Owen Glenn both say there was no connection between a large donation to the party and Mr Peters backing the expatriate's bid for a diplomatic position.

ACT and National are again attacking Winston Peters now that official documents released to NZPA have shown he initially pushed hard for Owen Glenn to be appointed honorary consul in Monaco.

Auckland voters got the answers to the big questions last night; such as which MPs could field dress a moose and who thought United States republican vice president candidate Sarah Palin was hot.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says his party would set up a fund to buy back electricity networks from foreign owners. "You have been price-gouged, overcharged and exploited for long enough," he said in a speech to a Grey Power meeting in Queenstown yesterday.

An election debate with the six leaders of the minor political parties was a worthwhile discussion of issues but was just too tame, a relaxed Winston Peters told media last night .

The leaders of the six minor political parties squared-off last night in what was billed as the debate of the kingmakers. But no-one seemed willing to take the crown, all six at pains to say the voters would decide the next government.

New Zealand's handling of the global economic crisis, and potential coalition partners after the election dominated TVNZ's minor parties election debate tonight. The leaders of the six minor parliamentary parties took the stage in their only televised debate of the campaign.

A new opinion poll shows Labour closing the gap on National, with a National-led bloc only just ahead in the race to form a government.

A new opinion poll shows Labour closing the gap on National, with a National-led bloc only just ahead in the race to form a government.

United Future leader Peter Dunne has thrown his support behind National, but Labour leader Helen Clark says his decision is unlikely to sway the election.

Opinion polls showing the Greens and New Zealand First gaining support are indicating the election could go either way. While National still leads Labour in all the surveys, Helen Clark could be in a position to pull a majority together with the backing of the minor parties.

New Zealand First was today's campaign winner with a double dose of good news.

New Zealand First has revealed it gave $78,000 to help the survivor of the brutal Auckland RSA triple murder who is suing the Corrections Department.

Two opinion polls released today have boosted National's chances of holding a majority in the next Parliament but they also added to the confusing picture of voter intentions.

A new poll out today has National in a position to govern alone, should the election result reflect its findings. The Herald-DigiPoll put National party vote support at 50.4 percent of decided voters, which would be enough to win 63 seats on election day.

New Zealand First secretary Anne Martin was aware of an $80,000 donation to the party which she did not declare, leader Winston Peters said this morning.

Political parties will be watching the polls even more intently after the latest survey showed the election could go down to the wire. TV3's poll, released last night, put Labour and the Greens in a position where they would together hold 59 seats in a 123-member Parliament.

Tui billboards referring to Winston Peters don't breach electoral law, the Electoral Commission has decided. The billboards, which went up in August, say: "When Winston says no, he means no -- Yeah right".

A new opinion poll has fired up the New Zealand election campaign, showing Labour and the Greens closely matching National and its right-wing partner ACT.

National MP Lockwood Smith's racially sensitive comments about Asians and Pacific Islanders were used by Prime Minister Helen Clark and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters on the campaign trail today.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has accused the National Party of racism following a bad gaffe by one of the party's senior MPs, Lockwood Smith.

On a week when it ruled out helping National form a government, the Green Party has continued to flourish in the polls. Since the NZPA rolling poll began on August 27, the Green Party has increased its party vote support from 5.8 to 7.0 percent.

New Zealand First MP Doug Woolerton has admitted he was "hugely embarrassed" by the Owen Glenn donation scandal and its fallout. The Waikato Times reported the list MP made the comment last night at a candidates meeting in Hamilton.

Prime Minister Helen Clark has ruled out selling Kiwibank to New Zealand shareholders and says it's doing fine as it is.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters' plan to sell Kiwibank is "erratic and confusing" and would risk destroying the bank, Progressives leader Jim Anderton says.

Winston Peters has come up with a startling solution to high interest rates and the huge profits reaped by the country's foreign-owned banks.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has put forward a radical proposal to float shares in Kiwibank and channel all the Government's $55 billion a year business through it.