Just before the meeting ended, word began seeping out of the room where the Liberal caucus gathers for its weekly get-together.

Apparently, some Liberals were getting nervous about forcing an election in the weeks ahead. Quite nervous, in fact.

The concern was about provoking an election over the Conservative budget, which is slated to be delivered February 26.

Now these rumours can be hard to confirm. Politicians are often willing to leak but not speak on the record about something as visceral as fear of an election.

So CBC News approached one of the more outspoken members of the Liberal caucus, Garth Turner, the former Conservative MP, who is in favour of going to the polls sooner rather than later.

Are your colleagues getting nervous, he was asked?

His reply: "Some of my colleagues would rather have their organs harvested without anaesthetic than go to the polls."

He went on to say that is a normal reaction in any caucus. And it probably is. But the frank description of that kind of political fear is not.