The office of NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has trampled on claims the government closed the NSW parliament early as "utterly incorrect".
Reports surfaced the NSW government had adjourned parliament early on Thursday evening, taking political pundits by surprise ahead of the state election in four weeks' time.
In a government gazette issued on Thursday afternoon, Attorney-General Mark Speakman wrote to Governor Margaret Beazley referencing the adjourning of parliament.
MPs from Labor and the Greens were quick to criticise the move, saying it had "come out of left field" and was "unbelievable".
However, the premier's office dismissed the reports as political games and scare tactics, saying proroguing the parliament early was "entirely normal".
Claims from the Labor opposition were called "utterly incorrect".
"Proroguing the parliament is an entirely normal process that occurs before every election," a spokesman for the premier said.
"The parliament is prorogued before every general election and the timing is comparable with previous general elections."
The proroguing would not affect the work of any parliamentary inquiry, and caretaker mode would begin as normal on Friday, March 3, the spokesman said.
It comes as the premier continues to face questions over a parliamentary inquiry's inability to track down his younger brother Jean-Claude Perrottet.
Jean-Claude has so far avoided being summonsed as a witness for an inquiry into alleged impropriety in the Hills Shire Council.
The inquiry is due to cease its work when the parliament enters caretaker mode on March 3.
The former Liberal Barry O'Farrell government legislated against governments proroguing early after former Labor premier Kristina Keneally shut down the parliament in December ahead of the 2011 election.
Mr O'Farrell said at the time Ms Keneally had shown "disdain" for the workings of parliament and its committees, and the laws would prevent a repeat.
MPs from Labor and the Greens were quick to criticise the government on Thursday, variously calling it an affront, and unexpected.
"It's unbelievable," Greens MP Cate Faerhmann told AAP on Thursday night.
"When integrity is your biggest weakness literally shutting down democracy is a pretty bad re-election strategy.
"It's also one giant middle finger to the people of NSW."
Labor MP Penny Sharpe told 2GB on Thursday she was still seeking advice about the meaning of the government's gazette, which her party had not been expecting.
"I really don't know, this has come out of left field this afternoon," Ms Sharpe said.
"We weren't anticipating this.
"There's still some questions that we need answered and I think the government needs to provide clarity about what they believe happens after this gazettal this afternoon."
Earlier, the premier headed to a Coles distribution centre to promise a supply chain commissioner if re-elected on March 25.
"This is all about getting produce to port to plate faster - that's lower fees, lower charges and then ultimately lower prices for families across NSW," Mr Perrottet said on Thursday.
Labor leader Chris Minns said if the premier was serious about lowering supermarket bills, he needed to look at the price of tolls and energy.
"To say on the eve of an election, he's got some magic way of reducing grocery prices for the consumers in this state, I think is very disingenuous," he told reporters.
Mr Minns' key election promise for Thursday was opening public school gates to the International Baccalaureate program, alongside the Higher School Certificate.
Victoria, South Australia, the ACT and Queensland have public schools that offer the internationally recognised qualification.
