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.

Most notably, at least in terms of high-exposure media coverage in Quebec, is the arrival of a reporter from the widely watched television network TVA. Quebec's most popular TV channel has not had a reporter on the Bloc bus at all, up to now.

And it isn't just anyone.

Paul Larocque is a veteran of provincial politics, who has become a star in popular news culture in the province, as an anchor and host on several programs both on TVA and its all-news cable station, LCN.

Expect the bolstered media presence to give Duceppe more exposure as voters hunker down to make a final decision.

— Tim Duboyce