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.

Conservatives — who've said from the start of this campaign that every seat is important if they're to grab that majority — hope to pick up a couple or three new seats in New Brunswick tomorrow. Harper's stop this morning is meant to help tip the balance in close races.

Leader whistlestops on the last day do a couple of things — they send a signal to voters the party sees their riding as important (the feel good factor) and, especially in smaller locales, they usually result in local front page coverage for the leader in the next day's papers — i.e. on voting day.

Something to stare at over bacon and eggs before heading to the polling station.

On the other hand — Stéphane Dion was here this morning also.

Onward to Vancouver!

— Paul Hunter