New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has reportedly announced that the election will be held on September 20 this year.
Key said that he was announcing the election date well in advance as he believed this gave New Zealanders some certainty and was in the country's best interests.
According to Stuff.co.nz, the government's intention was that the House should rise on July 31 for its last sitting before the election, with Parliament dissolving on August 14.
Key, who called up the governor-general to inform him of the date yesterday, said that elections should be moved to September to September cycle as international summits tended to be held in November, adding that there was little political advantage in holding onto the election date.