Former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna says he received hundreds if not thousands of notes of encouragement to run for the Liberal leadership. Other Liberals say they too are considering pleas from party faithful. But there is a lesser known movement afoot. Call it, the "anti-draft" movement.

Some Liberals are encouraging would-be second and third tier candidates to think twice about entering the Liberal leadership contest, suggesting a smaller slate of candidates would be better for the party. The theory goes, the fewer candidates the less potential for a compromise candidate to come up the middle in victory as Stephane Dion did in 2006. With two or three candidates on the ballot, Liberals would be forced to make a choice: who they want to lead the party, not who they can live with.

For instance, one Ontario Liberal MP says he approached another Liberal from Ontario who is considering running as a lower tier candidate. The MP asked, "Why would you do this? To win?" The MP tried to make the case that a behind the scenes organizer who delivers delegates for a front runner can be as influential as a king maker candidate.

But not all Liberals are following the logic. As one Ontario organizer put it, no one will have an opportunity to come up the middle if front runners are impressive enough.

What do journalists and ministers' chauffeurs have in common?

Apparently the same zeal to get the story first.

At today's cabinet swearing-in the drivers dutifully dropped off their honourable passengers in front of the main doors of the Governor General's residence.

They parked their cars and then gathered along the driveway to chat.

A few minutes before the official ceremony inside Rideau Hall begins, the government circulated a list of the new cabinet ministers.

Journalists were not the only ones sprinting to grab the document to report the news. One of the sprinters was a chauffeur.

He grabbed the information and promptly brought it back to share with the other drivers.

Remember when the Harper government first took office?

One of the changes was that the press gallery was no longer welcome outside of the cabinet room. The weekly tradition of asking cabinet ministers questions as they came and went disappeared.

Frank Magazine, the controversial, muck-raking, gossip rag is now, officially, and perhaps finally, dead.

Subscribers received the following e-mail, this morning.

After trying to foster friendlier ties with the Parliamentary Press Gallery, relations between journalists and the Harper government may be returning to their previous state of acrimony.

Tuesday the government released the report by former Supreme Court Justice Frank Iacobucci into how Canadian officials treated Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad Abou-Elmaati and Muayyed Nureddin. The report was released at 1 p.m. Justice Iacobucci held his news conference at two. And Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day spoke to reporters at three.

Reporters wondered how they were supposed to make sense of the 544 page report in such a short time.

Thirty-seven days later, Stephen Harper's 2008 campaign wrapped up in soggy but chi-chi West Vancouver tonight with a quick rally at a local campaign office.

Paul Hunter

So why bother flying all the way from the Maritimes — where he'd begun his day — just for that?

Two things:

• He was going to Calgary anyway.


• While in Vancouver he also he did a sit-down interview with a local TV station. Viewership: in the hundreds of thousands.

Campaigns can take a lot out of you.

Susan Lunn

But there are tremendous upsides. The greatest is seeing the country, the vast nature of it, from coast to coast to coast.

It's not every day I get to wake up and see the Atlantic Ocean and end my day looking at the Pacific.

Now if I could just get some sleep.

Jack Layton hit MuchMusic today to appeal to the youth vote.

Rosemary Barton

But the most hard-hitting:

"Do you like Britney Spears?"

"Not so much," said Layton.

But he was still asked to throw to the premiere of her new video.

The name of the song: Womanizer.

And yes, Layton laughed.

Rosemary Barton

Today, reporters on Jack Layton's tour got fed turkey sandwiches.

A little taste of Thanksgiving during this election campaign.

Tim Duboyce

Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe is refusing to apologize for an outburst yesterday in which he called a Conservative candidate an "imbecile."

It happened when Luc Harvey, who is running for re-election in a Quebec City riding, showed up at a farmers' market where Duceppe was campaigning. Harvey began heckling Duceppe and saying the Bloc had accomplished nothing during the party's 18 years in Parliament.

Duceppe eventually asked his entourage to "get rid" of Harvey, calling the Conservative an "imbecile."

Paul Hunter

Prince Edward Island? Check. Fredericton? Check. Vancouver? Coming up soon.

Stephen Harper's second rally of the final day of campaigning saw about 150 people crowd into a private hangar at the Fredericton Airport just before lunchtime.

Alison Crawford

The Conservatives are on our heels!

Just as the Liberal plane was getting ready to take off from Fredericton, what do we see from our tiny oval Air Inuit windows?

A giant Air Canada jet with the word Conservateur on the side.

Rosemary Barton

First event of the last day of Jack Layton's campaign (insert reporter "Yeeha!" here).

First stop: Oshawa. A place we have already hit on this campaign once before and a riding of great significance for the NDP.

Paul Hunter

Stephen Harper's long last day is underway.

He began his final leg of campaign '08 this morning with a crowded, very noisy rally outside Charlottetown.

Conservatives hope to pick up at least one of P.E.I.'s four seats on Tuesday and have eyes on two others. They've been shut out on the Island since 1988.

Susan Lunn

People are very friendly on Prince Edward Island.

So friendly some students left a message for reporters using a classroom to file.

On a board, someone wrote: "Dear Canadian media. Hope you enjoy your stay on P.E.I "

Tim Duboyce

The Bloc Québécois campaign is back on track.

After a brief delay taking off from Quebec City, Roberval-bound, Gilles Duceppe has landed safely.

Rosemary Barton

He was a guest on the very popular Quebec show, Tout le Monde en Parle (pre-taped this past Thursday).

We were travelling from Hamilton to Guelph at the time, but because of the fancy technology of my French colleague, we were able to watch it live on a computer.

Layton did well on the show. He managed to get through his key messages on the environment and Afghanistan.

Tim Duboyce

For just the second time in the campaign, Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe got heckled on the hustings.

What's a little different this time, is the heckler was actually a candidate for another party.

Susan Lunn

Saint-Tite is a long way from Calgary.

But Stephen Harper must feel at home anyway.

There's a western festival going on in town.

Rosemary Barton

When Jack Layton arrived at his charter plane on Saturday night for his last plane trip of this campaign, he was greeted by the reporters standing around … a kitchen table.

As you will know by now Layton talks about kitchen tables — a lot.

But we had never yet seen him at a kitchen table.

Yes, Thanksgiving is a time for family and for gratitude, a time for us all to thank our lucky stars for the blessings we enjoy as members of Stéphane Dion's travelling press pack.

And we've just been blessed with the news that we still have — gulp — 11,808 kilometres to go before we're done.

Yes, it's another last-minute, cross-country, red-eye marathon.

Remember Paul Martin's epic gallop across the country in the 2004 election? Cynics saw it as a sign of desperation, but you can't say he didn't give it everything he had.

Dion can hardly do less. So he's going to flog his 29-year-old gas-guzzling Air Inuit plane as hard as it will go, all the way from Toronto to Fredericton to Vancouver to Montreal in the frantic final moments of the campaign.

Rosemary Barton

Apparently Jack Layton is sometimes a rock star.

Or at least he is today here at Club Soda.

After being introduced by his lone Quebec MP, Thomas Mulcair, Layton walked through the throngs to the groove of Socalled, a Montreal musical wonder.

Paul Hunter

Oh, and bring chocolates!!

In rallying supporters in Guelph, Ont., this morning, he urged Canadians to make the right choice on "February 14th".

Rosemary Barton

Club Soda, Montreal: an NDP rally in a downtown nightclub on an incredibly beautiful day of a long weekend.

And yet, the place is packed.

Not the thousand the NDP had promised but a good 800 strong.

Paul Hunter

"Click!"

Two and a half days to e-day and Conservatives have officially switched on the cruise. At least as far as promises go.

As he met with reporters this morning in southern Ontario, Stephen Harper told them he's now announced all of his pledges for this campaign. That's it, that's all, electorate.

Tim Duboyce

Let the metaphors begin.

On a quick campaign stop near Rigaud, Que., Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe paid a visit to Mont Rigaud.

Rosemary Barton

Jack Layton hit Montreal's famed Atwater market today. It is a traditional stop for politicians on the hustings in Quebec.

He mingled with people buying their weekend produce and managed to buy — and distribute — a basket of Quebec apples.

Paul Hunter

Stephen Harper's final dash across the country in the run-up to Tuesday's vote takes him to Quebec this weekend where his standing in public opinion polls has lately taken a hit.

CBC Radio's Susan Lunn asked him today how he plans to reverse his recent slide in that province.

His answer? Here's the last part of Harper's answer, word for word …

Party war rooms are quite literally factories for getting messages out via press releases, advisories and so-called reality checks.

But sometimes in the haste to get the messages out mistakes are made.

Tim Duboyce

One of Gilles Duceppe's favourite stories he likes to tell these days to inspire Bloc supporters is the tale of a woman in South Africa who, voting for the first time in a free election, came to believe it was her ballot that put Nelson Mandela over the top.

It always gets a laugh, but Duceppe always comes back to say that, in fact, every vote does count.

The NDP rally featured a new song in Gatineau, a Quebec song that some of you may have heard before.

Rosemary Barton

It's a real toe-tapper.

The only problem?

It also happens to be a song written very specifically to criticize Quebec Premier Jean Charest and his policies during the 2003 Quebec election. One of Charest's cabinet ministers was Thomas Mulcair — Layton's deputy leader and only Quebec MP.

The song talks about change in a general way (as does Layton), but the details target Charest by citing his plans to "re-engineer" the Quebec bureaucracy and making fun of his last election slogan "Nous sommes prets."

The NDP says it still believes the song generally applies to their message.

So were the words (among many others) of Laureen Harper tonight, speaking of husband Stephen.

Paul Hunter

In fact she'd only ever spoken on-stage once before, period — at this year's Juno Awards show in Calgary.

And by all accounts tonight, she did just fine.

It would seem today was the day to bring out the more experienced past leaders of the party.

Rosemary Barton

Now, Broadbent had been out at a couple of local events, but this was his first time out with Layton so far. And he did it, he says, because he "wanted to pick a fight with Chrétien."

And he did. Railing against Chrétien's Liberals for never keeping promises, for making "the biggest social cuts in the history of Canada."

After that job was done, Broadbent hopped a ride back to Ottawa aboard Kitchen-Air. He also took time to come to the back of the plane and shake hands with all the reporters.

Political organizing 101.

Don't rent a big hall in Quebec for a rally on a night when the Habs are playing their seasoner opener — in their 100th season as a pro hockey team.

Just a thought from this political observer sitting in hall in Gatineau for an NDP rally, noticing that this place is pretty empty for an event starting in five minutes.

The RCMP security detail protecting Gilles Duceppe during the campaign had to bring a four-legged perp under control during a session of door-to-door cold-calling late Friday in Montreal.

Tim Duboyce

Eventually squirming out of their grasp (they really weren't trying that hard), Buddy began circling around Duceppe's feet, but, again, ran off before Duceppe had a chance to stoop down and give him a pat.

His owner says he's voting for the Bloc.

Yesterday I said I'd be sharing some of the picks that the players in The Politics Pool are making for some of closer races.

Janyce McGregor

His most interesting predictions are about what voters in the four "floor-crosser" ridings in the Ontario pool will do.

The outgoing or incumbent MPs for Halton (Garth Turner), Mississauga-Streetsville (Wajid Khan), Newmarket-Aurora (Belinda Stronach) and Thunder Bay-Superior North (Joe Comuzzi) have all switched parties: Turner and Stronach from the blue team to the red team, and Khan and Comuzzi from the red to the blue.

Stéphane Dion appears to have recovered from yesterday's bungled interview with ATV and is now cracking jokes about how he misunderstood the interviewer's question.

Alison Crawford

Much laughter ensued and he continued by saying Canadians would have had more childcare, the Kelowna Accord and the government would have preserved its $3-billion budgetary buffer.

He finished with his common refrain, "Stephen Harper may speak English better than me, but I speak the truth better in both official languages."

In these last days of the campaign, leaders' mothers have begun to make an appearance on the scene.

Rosemary Barton

Now, Jack Layton's mother has made her first appearance.

During a speech today, Layton took a moment to thank Harper's relatives who have "clued him into (economic) issues in recent days."

There were more loud jeers aimed at reporters today, as Conservatives continued a trend in federal elections also adopted by other parties of holding "leader media availabilities" in front of a crowd of party supporters.

Paul Hunter

Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe is holding a lunchtime rally with his supporters and candidates in Laval, just north of Montreal.

Tim Duboyce

That means the party which has vigorously demanded stricter labour legislation to ensure workers in federally chartered industries — like banking and communications — are guaranteed the right to work in French, is sitting down at a restaurant whose name breaks Quebec's own language law.

Apostrophes are not permitted on signage to designate possession, except in the case of trademarks which are registered nationally, since that grammar construction does not apply in French.

Regular byte readers may remember how in the first week of the campaign, when Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion encountered his first cute election baby in Thunder Bay, Ont., the crowd cheered for a kiss. His response at that time was something along the lines of, "Why shouldn't I kiss the mother!"

Alison Crawford

So, what's it like having your baby kissed by a politician?

"She's a very lucky girl in my opinion. It was very nice, very genuine. I hope she looks back on this, maybe see her picture in the paper and be very proud."

As the only other francophone party leader besides Stéphane Dion, Gilles Duceppe has come to the defence of the Liberal leader, on the issue of his command of the English language — though not in the context of Dion's difficulty comprehending a question about how he would resolve the economic crisis on CTV last night.

Tim Duboyce

Duceppe became indignant, complaining there is a double standard in Canadian politics. He says many English-speaking politicians have little or no ability to speak French, yet francophones are somehow always expected to be perfect.

Some campaign reporters have previously said the most challenging part of life on the road is laundry.

Rosemary Barton

Tonight I left my room to workout (finally).

Upon returning to the elevator I realized I had no idea what room or floor I was headed to.

I traveled up and down at least three floors trying random combinations of room numbers.

None worked.

Tonight the NDP campaign wraps early. Early these days is 8 p.m.

Rosemary Barton

We flew from Sudbury, Ont., to Montreal so Jack Layton could do exactly one event.

As I write this, he is on his way to the taping of the Quebec show Tout le monde en parle (which airs on Radio-Canada).

In case you don't know, the show is sort of a big deal in Quebec.

As many as one million to two million Quebecers tune into the entertainment talk show every Sunday.

So far, both Stéphane Dion and Gilles Duceppe have both appeared.

The only problem: the show tapes for hours, at least two if not more.

Observed at a Stephen Harper rally tonight in Winnipeg — new messaging!

Everyone in the Conservative leader's human backdrop was waving small blue and white placards not previously seen this campaign.

They read simply: "Real Plan."

To borrow from another PM, a plan is a plan is, evidently, a real plan.

Parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page made a point this afternoon of saying that several government departments not only didn't provide complete information for his investigation, but three didn't provide any data at all.

Among them: Foreign Affairs.

Speaking on Politics with Don Newman this afternoon, Foreign Affairs Minister David Emerson denied that his department was out to block the work of the parliamentary budget officer in any way.

"We have been very forthcoming so I'm not quite sure what [Kevin Page] is referring to there."

He said this report represented a whole different way of accounting, and the departments have struggled to pull Afghanistan-specific information out of their budget statements.

CBC Radio's Susan Lunn had a whack of good, insightful questions in her back pocket when she went in for a sit-down interview with Stephen Harper today in Vancouver.

Paul Hunter

Subjects? The final days of Harper's campaign, on being more publicly empathetic, his distaste for political celebrity, the race in Quebec and more.

But just before heading off to meet with him she showed the list to your agent and asked "Anything else you can think of?"

"It's obvious!" came the reply from her colleague, eager to help shape a dialogue with a world leader. (A colleague who also, it can now be revealed publicly, is an obsessive nutter when it comes to all things John, Paul, George and Ringo.)

Despite an apparent surge in support for the Bloc Québécois in the closing stretch of the campaign, Gilles Duceppe refuses to make any predictions on what might happen election night.

Tim Duboyce

Duceppe was grilled on the subject during a brief interview on the French-language TVA network. When asked how many seats he thinks the Bloc will win, Duceppe said, "We want to win as many seats as possible."

"What does that mean? More seats than you got last time?" Pierre Bruneau, the anchor pressed.

"That means we want to win as many seats as possible, and stop the Conservatives from winning a majority," Duceppe said, with a smile that betrayed an acknowledgement he was dodging the question. Again.

Maybe it got lost in the mail — 16 times.

Alison Crawford

In each case, groups ask parties to respond to a series of questions. The organization then compares responses and communicates the results to their members and/or other interested parties.

The Climate Action Network says the Conservatives refused to participate in all 16 of the organizations it surveyed. Executive director Graham Saul says, “No wonder people think Prime Minister Harper is out of touch with their concerns. The Conservative party is refusing to engage Canadians on the most important issues facing the country today.”

Jack Layton drove all the way from Sudbury to Espanola today to hit a Tim Hortons.

OK, it was actually more for the campaigning than the coffee. But for the record, he ordered a medium black coffee and three chocolate Timbits.

After which he said, "Don't tell Olivia" (his wife and MP for Trinity-Spadina).

Just a few days left and Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe has officially appeared before the editorial boards of every daily in Quebec's largest chain of French-language newspapers.

Tim Duboyce

It's a little ironic, as sovereigntists have often complained of the family of papers' editorial slant in favour of national unity.

Gilles Duceppe is, obviously, a sovereigntist.

Gesca is the property of Power Corporation, and the Desmarais family which controls Power are clearly federalist.

Espanola.

Rosemary Barton

In fact, it's a small town in Northern Ontario with a population of 5,314, according to the latest census information. But the story of Espanola actually is pretty exotic.

According to Wikipedia, the story dates back to the 18th century. An Ojibwa tribe sent a raiding party to the south and brought back a Spanish woman who later married a local. She taught her children Spanish, so when French voyageurs arrived later they noticed people speaking "Espangol" (Spanish in French).

And, hence, the name, Espanola.

Go figure.

As election day nears, the brave political junkies who are predicting the winners and losers for the close ridings in The Politics Pool are submitting their final ballots.

Janyce McGregor

Over the next few days, I'll try to share some of the more interesting picks. And you can make your own, and share them with us — download your own ballots at the Politics website.

But first, here's an assessment of an interesting riding that didn't make it onto our list, courtesy of Atlantic Pool player Lisa Hrabluk from Saint John, N.B. It manages to both inform and entertain — in a way only Maritime politics can:

One of the toughest parts of a campaign for any leader: how to find time to look after yourself.

Rosemary Barton

When reporters stop to file stories (in an increasingly smaller window of time as the campaign progresses) before moving onto the next location, Layton often dashes off to do local interviews and editorial boards. Or, when lucky, he goes to work out as he did today.

Stéphane Dion is celebrating the triumph of good over evil today. Jumping the gun, you say? Well, that just shows you are as clueless as his mostly-white traveling press pack, whose dimmer members had to furtively Google the subject of the Liberals' latest press release.

Terry Milewski

Dasara, according to Wikipedia, is an important Indian holiday which "concludes the festival of Navaratri, and the holy day also commemorates the triumph of good over evil." It seems that "celebrations can take on a wide variety of manifestations, ranging from worshiping the goddess Chamundeshwari (Durga) to exhibiting colorful toys on the day of bombe habba in Kannada."

Excerpt from a comment by Stephen Harper during his media availability this morning in Vancouver. In an answering a question from a reporter, he defended the cost of the Afghanistan mission in part, this way:

Paul Hunter

It's usually described by Canadian officials as the latter.

Though — evidently — not always.

Just in case you see Jack Layton later on your televisions and wonder, "what is Layton doing down in a mine?"

Rosemary Barton

Apparently, they hold weddings here. And also, I guess, political rallies.

So, now you know. We didn't travel down a mine shaft for an event. Just a hallway.

Compare and contrast, as you will:

Janyce McGregor

Ensure truth in budgeting with a Parliamentary Budget Authority

A Conservative government will:

Require government departments and agencies to provide accurate, timely information to the Parliamentary Budget Authority to ensure it has the information it needs to provide accurate analyses to Parliament.

It’s that time in the campaign when newspaper editorials come out backing one party or another. The National Post is favouring the Tories, in Quebec La Presse is backing — no one!

Emmanuel Marchand

In 2006, La Presse supported the Conservatives despite a few reservations with the party’s program at the time. Pratte says Stephen Harper has deeply disappointed and doesn’t deserve a majority.

Alison Crawford

I guess he's now officially part of that Liberal Team Dion is always talking about.

Well, he would certainly know how to pull off a good tour better than anyone.

What a difference a week can make.

Stephen Harper on Oct. 2 during the English TV debate:

"What Canadians are worried about right now is not the job situation, not losing their home like in the U.S. What they're worried about is they see the stock market problems."

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty today:

"Canadians are concerned. They are seeing dramatic losses in their savings and retirement investments. People are worried about the global economy and its effects in Canada. They're worried about their job security and their homes."

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper held a private meeting with members of Vancouver's Jewish community today.

They are celebrating Yom Kippur today. It is the holiest day of the year for Jewish people and requires a day of fasting and atonement.

So they will not be able to attend tonight's rally.

Further to my excellent colleague Rosemary Barton's last Political Byte on the emergence of Kenny Rogers The Gambler on the Jack Layton campaign, you should know the lyrics to said song are available easily on the internet.

James Cudmore

You should also know even in Thompson, Man., BlackBerrys can access the internet.

With this in mind, picture a plane-load of reporters, staring at their BlackBerrys and belting out every last word of The Gambler at the top of their lungs, as Kitchen Air barreled down the runway.

No word whether Layton sung along.

Yesterday's Conservative platform contained a curious measure, reversing an earlier, controversial position that Stephen Harper's government had spent a lot of political capital defending.

Bill C-10, which passed the House of Commons but hadn't become law before Parliament was dissolved, gave the heritage minister the power to pick and choose which television and film productions were worthy of a tax credit, based on the deemed quality of their content.

On Page 27 of the Conservative platform, it says that this bill would not be re-introduced if the government is re-elected. And that a future Conservative government "would take into account serious concerns that have been expressed by film creators and investors."

This is a curious piece of strategy on the Conservatives' part. Yes, the television and film community was angered and alarmed by C-10. But given other palpable anger and concern in the arts community over other Conservative budget cuts and policies, it's hard to imagine these voters suddenly embracing the Conservatives to reward them for backing down on C-10.

Quebec's largest trade union organization — the Quebec Federation of Labour — is staging a "big" rally to throw some support behind the Bloc Québécois, leader Gilles Duceppe, and most importantly, the party's candidate in the riding of Jonquière-Alma.

Tim Duboyce

Tonight's show promises to include firey speeches railing against the Conservatives, in the hopes of pushing Bloc hopeful, Chantale Bouchard, over the top and turn her into a giant killer.

There's a significant amount of work that goes into every political event — even the quick, "barnstormers" Jack Layton has become fond of lately.

James Cudmore

Take this recent stop in Thompson, Man.

The event was supposed to take place outside, on the tarmac, but after a near disaster weather-wise in Saskatoon earlier Wednesday, campaign staffers scrambled to move the event indoors.

Once on the ground, as at every event, an awesome audio-visual crew leaps into action and sets up a small stage, or soapbox, several TV lights and an audio feed for all the reporters.

They also take care with staging, making sure Layton's position is well-lit, and visually appealing.

Sometimes that means positioning Layton in front of a naturally beautiful backdrop, like the Slave River. But here in Thompson, with nothing but an empty airport holding room, the crew had to work a little harder.

Ah, how refreshing!

Rosemary Barton

No offence to Bryan Adams or Twisted Sister (those behind the other more commonly used songs by the NDP team), but we needed a change.

The new song? The classic by Kenny Rogers: The Gambler.

Today's the second time that sort of thing has happened lately at a Stephen Harper event.

Paul Hunter

A week ago in Yarmouth, N.S., Stephen Harper again took his regularly-scheduled "media availability" in front of a partisan Conservative crowd.

When the subject-matter of the first question in Yarmouth was apparently not appreciated by Harper's supporters, some decided that hissing and discontented murmuring was an appropriate response, while the question was being asked.

This afternoon brings another example of why the quick, flip soundbite is generally a bad idea when it comes to complicated economic issues.

Janyce McGregor

Seems simple enough, right?

The Layton campaign likes tarmac rallies. Jack Layton jumps out of the plane and gives us his best stump speech. That was the plan today, too.

Rosemary Barton

As I write this, my BlackBerry is getting as soaked as I am. I could be putting its very existence into jeopardy.

The rain poured down on 100 supporters. Some of them took NDP signs to use as rain bonnets. Then, as my colleague James Cudmore assures me, there was sleet.

Layton gave a slightly abbreviated version of his stump speech which started with, "NDP supporters don't let a bit of bad weather stop the winds of change."

A visit to give a speech and take questions from students at Université Laval in Quebec City was Gilles Duceppe's fifth campus stop since the start of the election campaign.

Tim Duboyce

Duceppe warned the crowd of some 300 students, not voting might lead to a majority government for Stephen Harper's Conservatives.

While he garnered lots of cheering, Duceppe appears not to have the youth vote entirely in the bag.

The media was booed a couple times during the Stephen Harper scrum this afternoon, clearly unhappy with the line of questioning directed at the Conservative leader.

A similar thing happened at a Stéphane Dion event on Oct 3. The Liberal leader did not appreciate the crowd's intervention and urged them not to boo. "We respect the freedom of the press," he said.

Harper offered no response to the booing, neither condemning nor supporting the crowd's actions.

Booing the media was a regular occurrence during the 2004 Conservative campaign until the media appealed for a stop.

Gilles Duceppe's vision for the future rights of linguistic minority groups, including francophones and anglophones, was momentarily blurred during a speech to students at Quebec City's Université Laval.

Tim Duboyce

Duceppe says the Bloc absolutely supports the acknowledgment of an Acadian nation. He went on to say all francophone people in Canada should enjoy the same universal right to education and health services in their language as anglophones do in Quebec.

It's pretty clear the Liberals are feeling the wind in their sails today. What better evidence than two standing ovations for Paul Martin from an apparently partisan business crowd in Toronto.

Louise Elliott

"What a difference a Harper makes," said Martin, to applause from the business crowd.

Martin's failure in the 2006 election notwithstanding, the Liberals feel assured by polling trends and aren't worried that Martin will hurt the campaign.

Instead, they are betting Canadians need reassurance that only the long-time economic manager can provide. Dion even led a standing ovation for Martin before he took the podium.

Spotted today in the lobby of the Royal York Hotel in Toronto: cascading, super-shiny dark brown hair. I recognized the coif from, of all places, Napanee, Ontario.

Alison Crawford

I then asked him if he might be giving Dion some wardrobe advice for a funky look for the "kids." No, he won't. Baker said, "I don't want a funky prime minister. I want a smart one."

Word Count surfaced tonight in North Bay, Ontario, where Stéphane Dion rallied with a boisterous crowd of supporters. Party workers circulated a handout called "Platform Priorities???"

Alison Crawford

The only number on this sheet where the Conservative number exceeds that of the Liberals is when it comes to the leader. In the Liberal platform, Stéphane Dion is mentioned six times. Stephen Harper's name shows up 100 times in his plan.

James Cudmore

There was some kind of Muppet at Jack Layton's rally in Vancouver Island North Tuesday afternoon.

Seriously.

It was a fuzzy, blue, googley-eyed, doll-like puppet, about 70 centimetres tall with a hand-sized hole in the seat of its pants.

The puppet had grey hair — made of the real human stuff, I've learned — was wearing an orange T-shirt and was perched on the hand of a woman.

When Jack Layton had a good line, the puppet's mouth would flap (along with the hand inside it, I suppose). When Layton said something that kind of made ya think, the puppet's mouth would close and its head would swivel, turning to look at the people standing nearby.

It was, to say the least, strange.

I mean, who brings a puppet to a Jack Layton rally??

Fact is, the puppet was kinda creeping people out. Seriously. It was weird.

But maybe the puppet was there for a reason: Perhaps it was some kind of aid for an exceedingly rare speech pathology.

Is there anything BEEP more aggra-BEEEP-vating than trying BEEEEP to deliver a speech to a BEEP BEEP big crowd of supporters when a BEEEEEP fire alarm seems to BEEEEEP keep intermittently going off in the BEEP room.

If you want to know how very aggravating that is, ask Stephen Harper, after tonight's rally in BEEEEP Van-BEEP-couver.

Stéphane Dion said goodbye to the reporter who has spent the most time on his campaign. Every day since the campaign began. The only reporter around since day one.

Susan Bonner

Now throughout the campaign the reporter has playfully and respectfully laughed with Dion's staff about his constant and unique mispronunciation of the word productivity. He calls it "productivi-ti-vi-ties."

Back to the cake. He presented it by saying "I made this cake with a lot of productivi-ti-vi-ties."

Jack Layton has been tired lately.

Rosemary Barton

If you ask him, he'll deny it, but take it from me, he's tired. Frankly, so am I. The pace of his campaign is fast. Has been from the beginning, continues to be now, even at the end.

Consider this: since last Friday we have been in the following places: Montreal, Iqaluit, Halifax, Sydney, Charlottetown, St. John's, Thunder Bay and Vancouver.

Tonight, we head to Edmonton.

But back to the fatigue and consequences thereof: Layton's speeches have been a little tedious, his French a little bumpy, his catchy lines less frequent.

But tonight, a sign of life.

Courtenay, B.C., the riding of Vancouver Island North.

Rosemary Barton

In one corner, Conservative John Duncan, winner in 1997, 2000 and 2004 (by a slim 483 votes).

And in the other corner, Catherine Bell, the NDP incumbent, winner in 2006 by only 616 votes.

Brace for a third rematch between these contenders. This, folks, could be a heck of a nail-biter.

Enter one Jack Layton: leader of the NDP and regular gadabout. The location: a packed hall of about 200 supporters where Layton wields a microphone and offers up verbal jabs to anyone in his way.

To see if the appearance makes any difference in this tight race — tune in this time next week.

Justin Trudeau rode Profess-Air with Stéphane Dion today from Vancouver to Toronto.

Susan Bonner

He is certainly not the first big-name candidate to take a turn on the Liberal tour. But what got my attention was how much one-on-one time he spent with the leader.

The two men could be seen at the front of the plane, heads bent towards each other in conversation for a couple of hours. Most of the other visitors had less together time with the leader.

The eldest son of the former prime minister did his other visiting duties as well, taking time to mingle with media at the back of the plane.

Stéphane Dion bounded into his first event in Vancouver today.

Susan Bonner

He is pumped by a tightening race and the response he is getting to his attacks on how Stephen Harper is handling the economic crisis.

Publicly, Liberals say it feels like a whole new campaign.

Privately, they acknowledge with the vote less than a week a way time may be tighter than the race, so they will pull out all the stops.

Dion will kick off a multi-day stretch in Ontario with an economic speech before the Board of Trade in Toronto on Wednesday.

Bloc Québécois supporters in Louiseville, Que., exploded into cheers and applause when Gilles Duceppe, in a brief stump speech, told them every gain the Bloc makes for Quebec in Parliament brings the province a step closer to breaking away from Canada to form its own country (a standard line he uses often).

Tim Duboyce

Then, the crowd of about 50 party workers, mainly seniors, broke into another common Bloc refrain, chanting, "On veut un pays" (We want a country).

Duceppe brought the tone down right away, insisting such an eventual rupture can only come following a Yes win in a provincial referendum.

Then, Duceppe said this: "Canada is a great country, Canadians are a great people. We're not seeking our sovereignty because we don't like Canada," he said.

"We want this because we believe we would be better off as good neighbours. We have a lot in common, after all," he said, most heads nodding in agreement.

Political parties use all sorts of things as props for photo opportunities: a cheering crowd, small babies.

Susan Lunn

Stephen Harper has even used his own campaign plane. But the media?

While setting up for a rally in a hanger in Hamilton Tuesday night the organizers ordered the doors be opened.

One of the media buses was driven in to much cheering from the crowd, but once they realized Harper wasn't on board they stopped.

A new word has popped up on Stephen Harper's blue-coloured news conference backdrop.

Where it used to read simply "Leadership." It now reads "Leadership. Certainty."

Go ahead — interpret!

The first sentence, below, is from a copy of Stephen Harper's speech handed out to reporters prior to it being read by him today in Toronto.

Paul Hunter

"As I had been cautioning for a long time, we are heading into a period of economic uncertainty and slower growth."

"As I had been cautioning for a long time, we are into a period of economic uncertainty and slower growth."

Spot the difference!

Leaving his interview with Vancouver radio host Bill Good this morning, Jack Layton made a pit stop.

Rosemary Barton

Layton talks (often) about how an NDP government would end ATM fees and how he wants to stop gouging by the banks.

But for now he still has to use them, just like the rest of us.

Plus ça change.

Louise Elliott

But once again, the unexpected threw Conservative spin doctors off. Clearly, control is still highly coveted. Today, I arrived at an embargoed technical briefing for the media before the Prime Minister's keynote economic address. I had warned Conservative war room officials on Monday and was given the green light.

However, as I began to sort through the briefing book, I was pulled into the hallway and asked to leave by a member of the communications staff.

Tim Duboyce

• Jetting from one coast to the other, zipping across Canada's timezones on staggeringly packed schedules, often campaigning in several provinces in one day, albeit with the comforts of modern air travel, like refreshments and fresh seafood?
• Staying in one province (except for a brief hop to Toronto) confined to trucking along Quebec's notoriously bad highways (and even worse back roads), on a shimmying bus, then making hops in a 40-year-old turboprop with so many decibels bouncing through the cabin you can't even carry on a conversation without shouting, to visit tiny towns and villages, often relegated to the sidelines of a national election campaign?

Gilles Duceppe was asked that question (not in so many words) at the end of a press briefing on the economy.

"Don't you think you have it kind of easy in this campaign?" Journal de Québec reporter, Michel Hébert blurted out as Duceppe was trying to leave the podium.

Now this is daring stuff: a politician at the exit of the Burrard sky train station.

Rosemary Barton

Now politicians generally like controlled environments — a place where they know people will be friendly and supportive. But Layton threw himself into the experience with vigour. He was handing out hundreds of pamphlets with his candidate for Vancouver-Centre, Michael Byers.

He said a lot of "Good Mornings," shook a lot of hands and he asked people for their support on — Monday.

A sure sign we are into the closing days of the election campaign: in the case of Gilles Duceppe, the media buses which have been half-empty through the middle stretch of the tour are filling up.

Tim Duboyce

The daily Montreal paper Le Devoir has had no one on the bus since the start. Now there's someone through to the end.

The Globe and Mail staffed Duceppe's campaign for the first few days, then dropped out for the last three weeks. They're back, too.

James Cudmore

It is, some folks say, the nerve centre of a party's campaign. (Though others consider them little more than whirling vortexes of spin).

But one of the problems with war rooms is that they don't travel with the party leader, and it's sometimes difficult to stay connected.

For instance, unless CBC Newsworld is broadcasting your party leader's event in, say, Surrey North, B.C., how would a group of spinners in Ottawa know what their leader is saying?

Well thanks to the miracle of cellular telephony, the NDP war room in Ottawa is always in the loop.

James Cudmore

And raising that money at the local level is the responsibility of the local candidate.

So, pity Rachid Arab, the NDP candidate in Surrey North. He's new on the job, taking over from NDP MP Penny Priddy, who decided not to run again.

Priddy was on hand at Jack Layton's rally in Arab's riding Monday night.

But it appears her hand, or at least, her smiling face, also plays a key role in Arab's fundraising efforts.

Hanging on the wall of Arab's campaign office is a large portrait of Priddy. Posted beside it is a small paper sign. "Silent auction," it reads. "Autographed Penny Priddy portrait."

Alison Crawford

That was a comment from one of my colleagues this morning, soon after Stéphane Dion finished mainstreeting in Sidney, B.C.

Frankly, Dion's visit was more like a meeting of the local kennel club, as many of his supporters brought their dogs to meet the Liberal leader.

Dion, as many Canadians know, looooves dogs and has one of his own, a rambunctious Husky named Kyoto.

Paul Hunter

On the one hand...

Harper wants to impress upon Canadians the need to vote Conservative to, in his view, protect the country from economic catastrophe (implicit in that: get the vote out!).

So tonight, in stern voices, his communications people were telling reporters that this election "is not a game" and that choosing who to vote for involves "major issues" and is a "major choice."

On the other hand...

Rosemary Barton

It took the NDP tour one hour and 20 minutes to get to the riding of Newton-North Delta.

It was a quick rally. Jack Layton was in and out of the riding office, quick speech, no music.

But there were words for the prime minister.

Layton now calls Stephen Harper the "outgoing" prime minister and calls himself the "incoming" prime minister.

And he had plenty to say about Harper's platform drop tomorrow.

"Apparently, he's discovered one exists," Layton quipped.

Paul Hunter

So important to Harper was this message that it was specifically read out loud ahead of time by a Harper communications adviser to a huddled crowd of journos before the speech was given publicly.

French-language reporters noted immediately that the comments were scripted in English only.

(Typically, all federal politicians say important stuff in both official languages, but this was especially unusual considering the speech would be delivered in Laval, Que.)

"It's not a finished version," they were told.

But sure enough, when Harper himself delivered it tonight, the economy comments were in English only. This makes it a lot more complicated for French-language broadcasters to use it.

Well, it's finally happened. A baby has turned on a politician.

Rosemary Barton

Not tonight.

In Surrey, B.C., little Shasta was teething, and there would be no kissing.

Jack Layton probably didn't even see Shasta, but he definitely, absolutely, heard her.

Shashta didn't care about Layton's message.

Wasn't interested in that stump speech.

She let it rip: loud piercing screams that would drown out the most capable of politicians, that overpowered the microphone, that made it hard for reporters to hear.

Yesterday was stunning in Churchill, Man., — sunny and 14 C. But despite kids building sandcastles on the beach of Hudson Bay, town resident Michel Petit was perturbed.

Alison Crawford

"Today's a very nice day. But too warm and sunny for October. We're seeing more extreme weather. It's warmer in the summer and colder in the winter," he said.

The director of social services, who describes himself as "middle of the road" when it comes to politics, came out to hear Stéphane Dion speak.

Jack Layton, it seems, is tired. These past few days Layton seems to have lost a little energy. His well-rehearsed stump speeches sometimes sound a little less than well-rehearsed.

James Cudmore

Take today, for instance: Layton was talking (again) about what he calls "gouging." Layton says bank ATM fees are too high, that's gouging. He says the price at the pump is too high, and that's gouging, too.

But today, twice, hours apart, Layton mumbled his line about gas prices. The price of barrel of oil is down to about $88. He says the last time that happens, the price for a litre of gas was $1.06.

Gilles Duceppe's face twists into an angst-filled grimace on four small colour monitors simultaneously, in the control room of a CBC affiliate in Sherbrooke, Que. Everyone's waiting for a satellite connection to a studio in Montreal where the host of a French-language program on the election will soon appear, and start grilling the Bloc leader..

Tim Duboyce

Waiting for the taping to begin, his head is turned away from the camera. He's watching — it turns out — a screen displaying a business update.

"I see Wall Street, the Dow Jones, has lost 500 points. What's Toronto down to?" Duceppe asks a disembodied voice at the other end of an audio link.

"It's so far down more than 800 points," the voice responds, in a dire tone.

"Oh la la," Duceppe says, shaking his head.

Former Liberal leader Paul Martin’s autobiography is expected to arrive in bookstores in three weeks but Le Devoir got a sneak peak of one of the final drafts.

Emmanuel Marchand

Martin’s autobiography talks about his childhood, his climb to the top job at Canada Steamship Lines, and his years in politics.

He devotes several chapters to his bid to take over leadership of the party and the two years he served as PM.

Martin accuses Chrétien of putting their rivalry ahead of the good of the party.

Pancakes and politics go hand in hand. At least, I think they do.

Rosemary Barton

The problem: the crowd was small. And this, in the riding of Vancouver-Kingsway, one the NDP thinks it can win. Now, of course it was early: 8:30 a.m. kinda early and it's always hard to draw crowds this early on a weekday.

But it does make you start to make you wonder: where is this "orange wave" Layton is always talking about.

Fortunately for the NDP, this restaurant also had mirrored walls.

And the name of the restaurant: "Top's."

Really.

As Susan Lunn already wrote in this space, this morning the Conservative campaign visited a Gymboree location to announce changes to the child benefit program that would take place, if the party is re-elected.

Janyce McGregor

If you were trying to position the Gymboree brand on the working class-elite continuum, it would definitely be on the ritzy end — and we don't often see the Conservative campaign targeting the "haves" these days with their messaging.

Want to take your pre-schooler to the programs at Gymboree? Prepare to spend nearly all of your government child benefit:

That question stared down Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe during an interview with Montreal radio show host Paul Arcand, Monday morning.

Tim Duboyce

Arcand insisted, "I've got friends who say they like the Conservatives' young offenders plan, who are right-wing, who say Harper is right on all of the issues, but who are sovereigntists. Why should they vote for you?"

Duceppe attacked federalists for failing to produce a new constitutional option for Quebec.

When a photo-op works, why mess with it?

Susan Lunn

Today, as reporters were brought out to a morning event one of the pack (OK, me) thought I've been here before. Which is odd, since I don't have children.

Turns out today's event on enhancing the child benefit was at the exact same place.

Everyone had to take their shoes off.

Stephen Harper promised it would be the only time in the campaign he'd make an announcement in his socks.

Jack Layton made an appearance at the back of the plane tonight.

Rosemary Barton

But rather to present us with gingerbread cookies with the NDP brand iced on top.

And indeed they are made in Ottawa (we always check these sort of things).

And we ate them with gusto.

Want a sign Jack Layton knows his stump speech back to front and inside out?

Rosemary Barton

But Layton did not.

He didn't look down at notes, but he just kept on going.

And he certainly didn't forget his closing line, "Don't let them tell you it can't be done."

Of course at this stage in the campaign I could probably do the stump speech without a teleprompter too.

On a calm, gorgeous flight from Iqaluit to Churchill, reporters traveling with Stéphane Dion were invited into the cockpit for the view and a quick chat with the pilots.

Susan Bonner

With just water below us, there wasn't much geography to talk about so I asked Captain Marc Beaudoin (pilot)
and Captain Norman Noel (co-pilot) how they like flying the Liberal tour around the country.

They both agreed it was more interesting than their usual flights. They enjoy "the client" and say they are paying more attention to the Liberal message in this campaign. On the other hand, they are both working such long hours that they can't follow the overall campaign as closely as they normally would.

In case there was a sliver of doubt who Gilles Duceppe considers his chief opponent in the election, all nuance was wiped away in a speech to the largest rally of the Bloc campaign so far.

Tim Duboyce

Supporters chanted Duceppe's name, and cheered wildly at times, as the BQ boss went further than ever before in his character attacks against the Prime Minister.

He called Stephen Harper a "liar", a "cheater", and said Harper lacks "any sense of morality."

Rosemary Barton

It was at Pippy Park today where Jack Layton made his second stop in St. Johns.

The second one because Layton's candidate in St. Johns East, Jack Harris, is polling high regionally and the NDP believes it might, thanks to him, get a seat here in Newfoundland.

Paul Hunter

In what is now a longstanding weekly tradition, Stephen Harper came to the back of the plane (aka The Reporter Section) on Saturday on the way home to Ottawa from New Brunswick.

And another brief informal chat ensued as Week Four of the campaign wound down. (Sunday is an off day for him).

The pretext was to say farewell to those reporters moving on to other planes next week but, of course, the conversation moved quickly to a range of matters.

Susan Bonner

Canada's North offers a visual feast for visitors. Standing on the breakwater of Frobisher Bay on a sunny Sunday morning in Iqaluit, reporters on the Liberal campaign tour were taking in the sea, the snowy rugged hills, the fisherman preparing their boats .....and polar man.

He is a fixture at any event in town.

Tim Duboyce

After endorsements from the Canadian Auto Workers, the Quebec Federation of Labour, and even Margaret Atwood, Gilles Duceppe got a handshake and a thumbs up from one of the most recognizable figures in the Montreal sports world.

Youpi.

Rosemary Barton

In this last ten day sprint (doesn't that seem like far too long to sprint?) — anyway, in this last sprint Jack Layton is trying to hold rallies that are effective but don't take much time.

And so the "hangar" rally is born.

Almost on the tarmac, but not quite.

Susan Lunn

Stephen Harper was campaigning on Saturday in what he describes as his ancestral homeland, Moncton.

His father was born here. And when he was growing up, he used to visit his grandparents here.

Susan Bonner

Liberal leader Stéphane Dion highlighted a humorous distinction of the roster of Liberal candidates.

The party has three former premiers running for them including Bob Rae from Ontario, and Ujjal Dosanjh from British Columbia.

Today Dion introduced the third former premier running as a Liberal candidate.

Rosemary Barton

Rick Mercer and his crack cameraman were waiting for Jack Layton on the tarmac in Halifax today.

Turns out he's aboard Kitchen-Air for the day!

Susan Lunn

Reporters listen to a lot of stump speeches during election campaigns.

The speeches usually begin with a thank you to people who organized the event. Sometimes a local politician like the local mayor is recognized.

But the media? Never.

The leader of the Bloc Québécois is describing this last stage of the election campaign as the "final sprint," suggesting he will somehow turn on the jets in his campaign which has kept a steady, unharried pace ever since it pranced out of the starting blocks four weeks ago today (one day before the real campaign began when the Governor General agreed to dissolve parliament at Stephen Harper's request).

Tim Duboyce

In fact, Gilles Duceppe's core message hasn't changed since Day 1: "The Bloc is the only party in Quebec which can beat the Conservatives, and prevent Harper from forming a majority government."

One of the more appetizing pitfalls of an election campaign is food.

Alison Crawford

Leaders attend wine and food festivals as well as countless luncheons and banquets. The Dieppe Farmer's Market in New Brunswick is a perfect example.

Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe says the rapid rise in the use of blogs to express personal opinions is leading to sloppy, unrefined ideas which eventually come back to burn would-be politicians in election campaigns.

Tim Duboyce

Duceppe made the remark in reaction to the latest candidate (Andrew McKeever, who is on the ballot for the NDP in the Ontario riding of Durham) to announce they will end their campaign following criticism over past remarks made online.

James Cudmore

Seen at an NDP rally in Halifax: Dancing girls!

Well, dancing people, anyway....

Paul Hunter

A point to ponder on a Saturday morning...

This many days into the last federal campaign — 2005/2006 — and it wouldn't even be quite halfway over.

— Paul Hunter

Rosemary Barton

Spotted Saturday at an NDP rally: A new sign.

On one side: "United with Layton" as part of his appeal for progressives to unite behind him and his party.

James Cudmore

For all the kvetching about travel, long hours, buses and food you hear from the reporters covering the leaders' tours, it really is a privilege to cover an election up close and personal.

In fact, the travel is part of the privilege.

Alison Crawford

Much excitement and anticipation among reporters, technicians — and even Liberal staffers today.

New rally music (the stuff that plays while Stéphane Dion enters or exits a room) has arrived.

Actually, by saying "new music" implies that the old tune was actually music.

This week's stock sell-off on the TSX has served as the closest thing to a defining moment this campaign has had so far.

It has forced the economy onto the election agenda and created risks and opportunities for all the parties.

We saw an hour of debate dedicated to the subject on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

The most sobering statistic for anyone looking retirement in the eye? The TSX is down 21 per cent since the beginning of September. The bear is in the room.

Paul Hunter

Look! Up in the sky!

Yes, the war in Afghanistan has been intensifying lately and, arguably, who knows what that could mean over here?

I'm not sure what they're feeding my television colleagues on the other Conservative media bus.

Susan Lunn

But on mine, with the print and radio reporters, we were given a lovely chicken stew that is a local recipe. A small crepe and creton were also in the box.

Earlier in the day, all reporters were given Ganong chocolates, from the New Brunswick company.

Now if I have time in Yarmouth, N.S., for seafood chowder tomorrow I'll be happy. And I promise to bring my television colleague.

In response to my colleague Paul Hunter's note about food aboard the Conservative media bus, and in furtherance of my colleague Rosemary Barton's note about food on offer at Jack Layton's Iqaluit event, I would like to add, for their — and your — consideration, this: Beluga whale blubber.

James Cudmore

It comes with instructions. Take one small piece and chew it until there's nothing left to chew.

I did. It was all right.

It must be a plot.

Paul Hunter

Day 27 and finally word from your agent on the Stephen Harper tour about the edibles on offer for Big Media travelling with the Conservative leader.

Tonight's vittles inside Harper Bus No. 2 as it rambles along outside Edmundston, N.B.? Two words: head cheese.

Not joking.

Looking to impress a bunch of hard-nosed, cynical reporters?

Rosemary Barton

Fly them to Iqaluit.

As we arrived with NDP Leader Jack Layton this evening reporters had their noses stuck to the plane's windows taking pictures of the starkly beautiful landscape.

Once on the ground, everyone rushed to get pictures of themselves — in the Arctic.

But we were really here to work, so Layton jumped in a pick-up and we jumped in a school bus and rolled into town for a celebration and feast.

Last night, about 4,000 people in the riding of Dartmouth Cole Harbour got a rude awaking — literally.

The Conservative candidate, Wanda Webber, had an automated system make calls asking voters to support her. But instead of the usual dinner-hour the calls were made after 10 p.m.

This morning Webber's office was flooded with dozens of calls of complaint. Turned out the automated system used in Halifax by the Tories is programmed in Calgary.

They set the call system to Mountain Time instead of Atlantic Time.

Whoops. The candidate sincerely apologizes.

Rosemary Barton

Of course, we don't have time for such things on our schedule.

So, when the flight crew goes to Schwartz's and brings back packs of medium-cut meat, rye bread and mustard for everyone on board, it makes a lot of very busy people very happy.

Famed Canadian author, Margaret Atwood, says if she lived in Quebec, she would vote for the Bloc Québécois.

Tim Duboyce

During the speech, Duceppe blasted Stephen Harper for cutting funding for arts and culture. He says more than a million Canadians work in the arts.

Atwood inspired a round of applause for Duceppe's remarks, and afterwards told reporters she hopes the Bloc is successful in defeating as many Conservative candidates as possible in Quebec.

Asked if she lived in Quebec, would her own vote go to the Bloc, Atwood said, "Yeah, absolutely. Without a doubt."

For the first time in this campaign, Stéphane Dion shared a stage with one of the Liberals' star candidates: Justin Trudeau.

Susan Bonner

Dion has made several visits to Montreal and appeared with various groupings of Montreal candidates.

Trudeau was always absent — which raised eyebrows and questions.

Today he joined more than half a dozen candidates who stood behind Dion at a news conference.

Call it a television reporter's lament. The Liberal campaign is defying tradition on this day after the debate.

Susan Bonner

Not this tour.

Instead, Dion has an interview-heavy day in Quebec with a speech to the Montreal Board of Trade at lunch hour.

Dion will likely use the occasion to play up his 30-day plan to deal with the economic slowdown. And to take more swipes at Stephen Harper over what Dion calls his laissez-faire approach to the economy.

That may provide content, but it leaves a dearth of the kind of all important images that help convey a sense of momentum and excitement to Liberals across the country and to voters themselves.

Before the debates of the past two nights fade into campaign oblivion, here's the view the morning after from Conservatives traveling with Stephen Harper:

Paul Hunter

They underline that effectively Harper went through two straight four-on-ones and is still standing. There were no knockouts in either direction, they say, but he was able to explain in some detail a number of his positions. And they like his "'Stéphane, you panicked" line.

He "did what he had to do" they say (though noting, in fairness, so did the other four.)

And now — back to the campaign.

One of a professional journalist's challenges is to keep your self-interest in check when reporting and analyzing a campaign.

Janyce McGregor

I know personally, because I'm a new, working mom, the child care debate hits me both in the heart and the pocketbook. Because my parents are farmers, I take notice of the parties' positions on support for agriculture. And yes, because I work for the CBC, any time someone starts in about whether CBC funding has gone up or down, I'm drawn to that discussion like a moth to a flame. I can't help it.

About 130 placard-waving people (let's presume them to be Conservative super supporters — it was early and it was very cold) turned out at a private hangar near the Ottawa airport today to see Stephen Harper off as he began the post-debates push toward voting day.

Paul Hunter

It was strongly hinted he would address the crowd! Rally the troops! Say hello!

Reporters scrambled out of the plane with cameras and recorders.

Laureen Harper's love of small furry animals is well-documented. Now she's evidently recruiting them as Conservative candidates. Sort of.

Paul Hunter

"Vote Muffy in Ottawa Centre" kind of thing.

Although anyone whose dog leans to the left would seem to be out of luck.

Gilles Duceppe says he is satisfied with his performance in both the English and French leaders' debates. While waiting to board an airplane in Ottawa to go to Toronto, Duceppe chatted with reporters for a few minutes.

Tim Duboyce

Duceppe also says Harper was weakened when he confirmed he does not support a refundable tax credit for the manufacturing industry to encourage companies to improve productivity.

If Jack Layton has a trademark look it is most certainly his moustache.

Rosemary Barton

Layton blushed and laughed and responded that Olivia Chow (his wife and an MP) is his image consultant.

He then realized reporters were just lightening things up after a stressful couple of days of debating.

Reporters covering the Conservative campaign were told this morning there was a small change in plans.

Susan Lunn

Reporters rushed off the plane.

Some worker tested out a hand-held mike.

RCMP forced reporters to stand behind a velvet rope.

It's back on the hustings for Gilles Duceppe this morning, like all the other party leaders. The debates over with, now the home stretch of the campaign gets underway. So, for a Quebec sovereigntist politician, what better place to kick it off than.... Toronto?

Tim Duboyce

Duceppe's organizers are dismissing critics who have suggested Duceppe is wasting a campaign day in a place where — even if he were a huge hit — the party can expect no new votes since Bloc candidates only appear on the ballot in ridings in the province of Quebec.

The NDP got off to an early start this morning.

Rosemary Barton

For reporters who had stayed up late watching the debate and then, yes, the post-game analysis and then, maybe also, a little of Palin-Biden coverage, it was a brutal return to campaign reality.

It doesn't take long in politics for a line to become cliché.

James Cudmore

Or that old saw, "Canada's new government," which went on for about the same length of time.

The leaders were all ready for their second showdown this week on live television.

Wardrobes had been carefully selected. Hair and make-up all done.

You need to remember, leaders' staff spend hours trying to pick just the right outfit for their Leader; it should help him/her look, well...Prime Ministerial.

It was a contradiction in campaign messages. Candidate Lesley Hughes held a press conference in a Liberal office, surrounded by Liberal signage and cheerleaded on behalf of Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion, the man who had only just fired her a few days earlier as the Liberal candidate for Winnipeg's Kildonan-St. Paul.

"On his very worst day, Mr. Dion is the better leader for the country than Mr. Harper," Hughes said.

Trouble is, Hughes isn't supposed to say that anymore. In fact, she Isn't supposed to be in that office and isn't supposed to associate herself with the Liberal team either.

"It's over," Liberal Senator Sharon Carstairs said. "There is no future for Ms Hughes with the Liberal party of Canada. She was told that she could not use that office now. She chose to use it anyway."

Confused? Imagine being a voter in this riding.

The behind-the-scenes scene at the National Arts Centre on the night of a leaders' debate can be quite an enchanting experience.

Susan Bonner

Especially if you are a reporter who mistakenly finds herself on the wrong floor, that is the basement floor where the leaders will actually debate as opposed to the upper floors where media can roam freely.

During an election campaign, reporters are bombarded with dozens of e-mails each day from party war rooms.

Alison Crawford

To give you a sense of their tone, here are a few titles: "Conservative Broken Promise of the Day," "Stéphane Dion Discovers the Economy But Still Has No Plan" and "NDP Fact Check: Bay Street Harper's fuzzy math."

You get the picture, right? The war rooms distibute what they feel will be harmful information about the other parties and their candidates and leaders; or they correct what they believe is incorrect information about themselves.

In a very unscientific survey of people today there seems to be two distinct camps on how Elizabeth May performed in the debates.

James Fitz-Morris

The Bloc Québécois has released a somber new TV commercial which attacks Stephen Harper on issues including youth crime and leadership.

Tim Duboyce

The cast of Bloquistes appears in a tree-lined meadow with dark storm clouds looming in the background.

"You are only pretending to recognize our 'nation,' we can see through you," the ad states.

Last night, young campaigners gathered outside the National Arts Centre to show their support for their candidates.

Chris Rands

Just in time for a post-debate spending spree!

James Fitz-Morris

The questions at a breakfast all-candidates debate in Ottawa-Vanier this morning suggest widespread anxiety about the economy.

Louise Elliott

Belanger was asked how the Green Shift can help the economy given that carbon taxes have done little to help greenhouse gas emissions or economic troubles in some Scandanavian countries.

Yesterday, Stephen Harper was under fire for his 2003 speech mirroring the exact words spoken two days earlier by then Australian prime minister John Howard, justifying the war in Iraq.

Janyce McGregor

Brown's speech to the Labour Party's convention in Manchester included the line: "Why do we [the Labour Party] strive for fairness? We do it because fairness is in our DNA."

With less than two weeks until voting day, a number of polls are showing that the Conservative are not yet in majority government territory but certainly within striking distance.

Chris Goldrick

With Tory support apparently solidifying, there's new urgency among anti-Conservative forces for strategic voting as the best way to deny Stephen Harper a majority.

The latest effort comes from Alice Klein, the CEO of Now magazine, and communications consultant Kevin Grandia.

They've set up a website, VoteforEnvironment.ca

Much has been written in this space and others about the Conservative campaign's message control — including the difficulties national reporters have faced trying to interview local candidates, and in particular, English-speaking candidates outside Quebec.

Janyce McGregor

Left unspoken but not forgotten in this explanation is the fact that "off-message" remarks by individual candidates in previous elections ended up derailing the national campaign on several painful occasions. (Randy White, anyone?)

However, it seems even this strategy is not without its risks.

Former prime minister Paul Martin was in the news this week, campaigning hard for the party he led to defeat in the last election, and attacking the Conservative economic record.

Louise Elliott

Equally divisive for some Liberals is the team assembled to help leader Stéphane Dion prepare for this week's all-party debates.

This is the fourth federal election campaign that I've been involved in covering and there is one similarity: I'll be voting in an advance poll again.

Chris Rands

It was frustrating to be in a Montreal banquet hall on election night, watching the results come in and yet knowing that I missed out.

Stephen Harper knows his audience. So when he's talked about the cuts to federal arts funding that his government brought in, he's gone hard on his views about the arts community — at least, he has in English.

Paul Hunter

The first of two leaders' debates — tonight's being in French — is still hours away, but party workers aren't waiting before setting the stage outside the National Arts Centre in Ottawa for the political equivalent of a tailgate party.

Tim Duboyce

The first election debate is set for tonight at 8 in French. There was a time when politicians said one thing in French and something else in English. Those days are long gone and Blackberry campaigning has further helped bury that trend. That said, there will certainly be fine-tuning for the Quebec audience. So, watch for culture and language to feature in the back and forth.

Economics is to get a bigger play in both debates. We could hear more about forestry in a French debate than the downturn in the automotive industry. And while a tough line on young offenders might work in Ontario, it meets resistance in Quebec. Chances are we'll hear lots about Iraq — not just because of the Howard video the Liberals released yesterday but because Quebec is so anti-war.

With the first election debate hours away the the leaders of the five parties are in Ottawa getting ready for the French debate. On Friday morning, a few hours after the English debate wraps at 11:00 and the spinners have spun, all five will be back on the road.

Last night the NDP candidate in Nunavut, Paul Irngaut, sent out an invitation to voters to join Jack Layton in Iqaluit on Friday evening. It's going to be a party.

Irngaut promises a band and caribou stew and reminds everyone that seating is limited.

It seems that the all-important voting block known as "hockey moms" is on the fence in this election.

Louise Elliott

With two weeks to go in the campaign, I've seen enough at this desk to call this election.

Janyce McGregor

Nothing else has scored as many blows against partisan opponents, grabbed as many headlines or caused as many headaches for the party war rooms.

The democratization of political research brought about by the common web search tool means that campaign intelligence is no longer the exclusive or elite domain of party organizations, professional journalists, or political scientists. And that's probably a good thing, as far as citizen engagement.