New Zealand First leader Winston Peters remains scheduled to speak to the Otago Chamber of Commerce on Friday as he awaits the decision from Parliament's privileges committee on the donations scandal.
Mr Peters' lawyer Brian Henry appears before the committee today and the committee is due to report back to Parliament next Tuesday.
A spokesman for Mr Peters did not return calls confirming the NZ First leader's speech.
Otago chamber chief executive John Christie said Mr Peters was still expected to speak, but the chamber was watching events daily.
In 2005, Mr Peters spoke to a small number of chamber members and took issue with the chamber for the lack of attendees.
The amount of publicity he has received recently on whether he received a $100,000 donation from wealthy businessman Owen Glenn may help boost attendance on Friday.
Prime Minister Helen Clark visits Dunedin today for the official opening of Dunedin's Chinese garden.
She will attend a lunch hosted by the Dunedin City Council and open the "Emperor's Dragons" collection at the Otago Museum.
She said yesterday the election campaign would put space between Labour and its support partner NZ First.
An opinion poll on Sunday night showed Labour and NZ First had been damaged by NZ First's donation scandal.
"I would have to say that once the election campaign is called, then everyone is competing with each other. You go from a position where you have a confidence and supply partner which works with you on some issues and not others, to a position where everybody is out there paddling their own waka towards the finishing line, and that changes the dynamic."
Miss Clark reiterated on Radio New Zealand that she would allow Mr Peters to keep his ministerial warrants while the Serious Fraud Office, police and privileges committee conducted investigations, unless there was a "devastating reason" to sack him.
She did not believe National leader's John Key's pledge not to work with Mr Peters after the election.
"If Winston Peters was the difference between him and political power, he would do his best to get his support."
However, Mr Key repeated his earlier pledge that National would not do a deal with NZ First, even if it meant forgoing power.
"If you look at the scenario that could theoretically be painted where he holds the balance of power, he's not going to be coming to National. He's going to Labour. They are joined at the hip."
Today, Mr Henry will have to try to explain to the committee how an email from him to Mr Glenn, in which he provides bank details for a $100,000 donation and refers to a phone call between Mr Glenn and Mr Peters earlier, does not prove Mr Peters solicited a donation.
Mr Peters and Mr Henry have given conflicting evidence on the email.
Last week, Mr Henry provided a letter to the committee dated September 7 in which he said the subject matter of an email dated December 14, 2005, sent by him to Mr Glenn, was Mr Peters but the client referred to was not.
"I have always stated there are two clients involved in this subject matter. I am prohibited by privilege from divulging the name of the other client."
Miss Clark said she would be carefully watching Mr Henry's evidence.
