Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende´s plan to sound out party leaders and the leaders of both houses of parliament about which legislation can be pushed through before the election has been thwarted, the Volkskrant reports on Wednesday.

Balkenende had hoped to have the meeting on Thursday, but the leader of the lower house of parliament Gerdi Verbeet has reportedly told him the meeting is out of the question.
She has let Balkenende know it is up to parliament to decide what legislation is considered controversial, the paper said.

Caretaker
The Dutch governnment is officially now in a caretaker role, which means it may not deal with controversial subjects.
The Socialist Party and VVD Liberals had already turned down the prime minister´s invitation, saying it was up to MPs to decide.
Deputy prime minister and ChristenUnie leader André Rouvoet told the paper it is right that ´we can get to know what everyone else is thinking´. He too stressed the choice of controversial subjects is a matter for MPs.
Healthcare
Labour, which pulled out of the government at the weekend, has already begun breaking ranks on issues which had tentative backing from the old coalition.
Labour leader Wouter Bos told a party meeting on Tuesday night he was opposed to health minister Ab Klink´s plans to boost market forces in the healthcare sector and allow hospitals to pay out dividends.
´It is not necessary and not responsible,´he was quoted as saying. ´We need hospitals and health insurers to work together more closely, not compete with eachother,´ he said.

Spending cuts
New finance minister Jan Kees de Jager has already asked the 20 working parties looking into ways to generate €35bn from spending cuts and tax rises to finish their work a month earlier than planned.
The results of the policy overhaul had been due to be presented in May. However, De Jager says if they are completed earlier, the recommendations can be incorporated into the various parties´ election campaigns.
The next election will be held on June 9.