The Green Party has predictably announced it would prefer work with Labour to form a government after the election, saying that “on the whole National would take the country in the wrong direction.”

“In fact,” Jeanette Fitzsimons said in a statement this afternoon, “many policies headed off down a dead end street.”

Labour announced its party list today, promoting eight new faces over some sitting MPs.

There are younger people, women and racially diverse faces in the mix as the party tries to present a rejuvenated front.

Among the new names were former Race Relations Conciliator and Chief Families Commissioner Rajen Prasad. He is the highest ranked non-MP candidate.

Party president Mike Williams described 28-year-old Jacinda Ardern and Raymond Huo ranked 20 and 21 as exciting candidates.

Less than 5 percent of New Zealanders living overseas bother to vote in general elections, even though estimates put the number of eligible voters at 600,000.

This has prompted the expatriate business network association, Kea New Zealand, to launch a worldwide enrolment campaign.

“Although at least 600,000 Kiwis live overseas, only 28,000 voted in the 2005 general election,” says Ivan Moss, CEO of Kea New Zealand.

United Future would be needed after the next election to moderate the extremes of a National or Labour government, the party's leader Peter Dunne said today.

Speaking at a launch of United Future's campaign for the central Auckland electorates, he said both Labour and National were betraying public trust and confidence through their constant personal attacks on each other.

Prime Minister Helen Clark says National's welfare policy is too tough on single parents.

The policy is due to be announced later today and NZPA understands it will require solo parent beneficiaries to seek part-time work once their youngest child is six.

"I see they've got the hoary old beat up on single parents," Miss Clark said on TV One's Breakfast programme.

The National Party will require solo parent beneficiaries to seek part-time work once their youngest child is six.

The measure is expected to be outlined in National's benefits policy, which leader John Key will release today.

National is also expected to announce a rise in the amount of money beneficiaries can earn without losing any of their benefit -- from $80 to $100.

At present there is no obligation for domestic purpose beneficiaries (DPB) to seek work.