Hopefully, early next week Prime Minister Helen Clark can then finally reveal the date of the election she has been so closely guarding.
Several retiring MPs will be sweating over when they can give their valedictory speeches, and there will be some hoping the election will be later rather than sooner as they face losing their privileged positions.
The Green Party is launching its 2008 election advertising campaign in Auckland today, with party co-leaders Jeanette Fitzsimons and Russel Norman saying it is designed to make an emotional connection with the hearts and minds of New Zealanders.
The Greens want to remind people to consider the "big picture" when they vote.
National Party leader John Key has already released two of his party's billboards.
Predictably, one has been on tax cuts and the need to stop people voting with their feet and leaving New Zealand.
The second, released in Wellington this week, was about ensuring young people did not leave school or training without qualifications.
Labour has a similar policy, so it is a sort of one-all draw. Mr Key is desperate for an election to be called as soon as possible.
With National so far ahead in the polls, he has everything to lose the further out it is held.
The opinion polls have closed the gap between the two major parties and are likely to continue to do so.
Having ruled New Zealand First leader Winston Peters out of any future coalition, Mr Key, and National, have to win enough votes so they need only be propped up by perhaps Act New Zealand leader Rodney Hide and United Future leader Peter Dunne.
The Maori Party may also come into play.
Just how Mr Key will deal with those negotiations takes some consideration, given National wants to abolish the seats they represent.
Labour is conducting its own election campaign in the House as it wheels up ministers and MPs to support its legislation.
It was thought the emissions trading scheme was the main policy plank Miss Clark wanted passed, but the debates continue today.
Mr Dunne clashed with Associate Justice Minister Clayton Cosgrove in the House yesterday, with Mr Dunne accusing the minister of a political vendetta in the way he was pushing through the Real Estate Agents Bill.
Name-calling was par for the course during the debate as tired MPs operated in an atmosphere of the false campaign.
The quote of the day came from Winston Peters during an exchange with National Party shadow leader of the house Gerry Brownlee.
The larger-than-life Mr Brownlee was guilty of "a bombastic display of Billy Bunterism", according to Mr Peters.
National released its immigration policy designed to "bring more Kiwis home".
It has been trying to bring New Zealanders home for decades, but as a people, we come and go as we please.
The late Sir Robert Muldoon also used to deal with the perplexing problem of New Zealanders moving to Australia and raising the IQs of both countries.
Having Lockwood Smith at the airport to welcome them back will not excite too many Kiwis to return.
Strangely, National, which opposes a growth in bureaucracy and promises to cap public servant numbers at current levels, is planning to "explore the possibility" of establishing a stand-alone Department of Immigration and Citizenship.
Dr Smith said combining the resources and functions within Immigration New Zealand and the Department of Internal Affairs would only be acceptable if it was assured it could occur within existing resources and not lead to a rise in the number of bureaucrats.
To those of us who live outside Wellington, that seems an almost impossible goal.
Lambton Quay is full of suit-wearing men and women sporting their latest swipe card.
Political editor Dene Mackenzie is in Wellington this week.
