-Labour has formally warned KiwiRail that if it wins the election, work on switching from electric trains to diesels on the North Island main trunk line will immediately cease. -The United Future party is vowing to fight on despite its leader, Peter Dunne, pulling out of the election. He is its only MP and without him it will have to reach 5% of the party vote to win any seats. United Future has been tanking in the polls but party president Damian Light said yesterday it had always been more than one person. In the 2014 election, United Future gained 0.22% of the party vote, less than the Legalise Cannabis Party's 0.46%.

Source: Otago Daily Times August 22, 2017 18:22 UTC