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.

At one point, the Prime Minister's spokesman said that local candidates would be focusing on their local campaigns and therefore only talking to local media.

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.

Today the Liberal war room alerted reporters to comments made by Conservative MP Scott Reid (Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington) at an all-candidates meeting in his riding, as reported in the Frontenac News.

Reid is known among the chattering classes in Ottawa as a Harper intimate — and said to be like-minded in many respects. His career has, however, been limited by his penchant for being a little too forthcoming with his views. Gallery journalists know this — which is why we probably don't get to speak with him very often.

His remarks, for the record — with all credit and respect to local reporter Jeff Green:

On local uranium production:

“The Ontario Mining Act must be changed,” he said. “However, I am not against uranium mining in general and I support Prime Minister Harper's intention to open up foreign investment in uranium mining companies. It is limited to 49 per cent, so companies would stay in Canadian hands.”

Reid's got his facts wrong here, notes Green: the Conservatives have said they would remove this cap and allow majority ownership for countries that give Canadian companies commensurate rights and benefits and pass a new national security test.

On the listeriosis outbreak:

“If it really were the case that the listeriosis outbreak came about because of a lack of federal inspectors it would be a major issue in this election campaign. The press and Mr. Dion would be on this. But it just isn't the case."

And further, when the Liberal candidate at this meeting noted that John Baird, Jim Flaherty and Tony Clement were part of the provincial Conservative government during the Walkerton E. coli scandal:

“The Walkerton tragedy came about because Stan Koebel was drunk, and didn't do his job,” said Scott Reid.

On government arts funding:

“I don't think government should be giving funding to the arts. The arts are lovely, but arts funding is not a life or death issue such as funding for health care,” he said.

[Opera] “is a private interest of mine and I don't see why the public should be asked to subsidize my private interest.”

On a program he funded himself, using money from his $20,000 MP salary increase in 2001, to place defibrillators throughout the riding, when he was asked how many of these machines were located in Frontenac County:

“I don't think it is right to put a regional spin on a program like this, which is set up to provide life-saving equipment for people."

— Janyce McGregor