An informal Holmes poll has shown the country is evenly split over whether the Prime Minister should have called an early election.
Just over 7,000 people responded to the phone poll and while 49% backed Helen Clark's decision, 51% disagreed with her move.
The National Party says voters will punish the Prime Minister for calling an early election.
Leader Bill English says Helen Clark created all the speculation about an early election and voters are unhappy because they feel they have been manipulated.
Act leader Richard Prebble says the real reason the government is calling the election is that home mortgage interest rates are rising, particularly in Auckland, and export prices are falling.
Prebble says his party will campaign on the issue of zero tolerance for crime, and economic security through tax cuts.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says the country does not need the diversion or expense of an early election based on political expediency.
"As we predicted the government has thrown in the towel as our economy and our exports turn sour," Peters said.
New Zealand First says Labour must not be allowed to govern alone and Peters says his party will campaign on three major issues.
"We will fix up the immigration mess, fix up the Treaty of Waitangi industry and fix up law and order," Peters said.
Clark has cited the break-up of the Alliance into a faction led by Jim Anderton and another headed by Laila Harre as a key reason for the early election call. She says it has not affected the government, but has resulted in parliament becoming a farce because of the time the opposition spends contesting the issue.
But English rejected the assertion that opposition time-wasting is obstructing the passage of important legislation and said Labour has no valid reason to go to the polls.
And both the Alliance led by Laila Harre and the Greens said the election is unnecessary because the government still has the numbers to complete their term.
The deputy prime minister will announce his plans to join the new Progressive Coalition when parliament dissolves next week.
Anderton says the Progressive Coalition is committed to being a sensible coalition partner for Labour.
Meanwhile, the financial markets have been unmoved by the announcement of an early election.
Analysts say the likelihood that the government would go to the polls early had been well flagged.
The New Zealand dollar held steady at around 48.75 US cents, while the bond market and bank bill rates also remained unchanged.
