If nothing else, the McGuinty Liberals have become the masters of misdirection at Queen's Park. And never has that been clearer or better executed than this week — all to the government's benefit as it skipped quietly away from controversy generated by a key election promise.

With the opposition, the media and perhaps the public focused on the decision of PC MPP Frank Klees to disobey his leader and take aim at the Speaker's job, the issue of that controversial gas-fired power plant in Mississauga was cleverly pushed aside.

Twelve days before the election, the Liberals, in danger of losing members in Mississauga and Etobicoke, suddenly announced that construction on the $400 million-project would be halted.

In the days that followed the Saturday announcement — away from the potentially tough questions of senior campaign reporters and kept to just "local" media — the premier refused to admit that politics had played any role in the cancellation of the plant.

But by the night of Oct. 6, it was likely that it had. Voters in the two areas west of Toronto re-elected Liberals, denying Tim Hudak and his Tories the 905 breakthrough they were looking for and expected.

Now, fast forward to this week. And guess what?

Few answers

Eastern Power is still working on the plant in Mississauga. If it's been halted by order of Dalton McGuinty, it seems clear the order has yet to arrive.

And the newly-minted and perhaps future Liberal leader, Chris Bentley — up to his eyeballs in briefing books learning the ropes of the energy ministry that he was just appointed to — could barely get out a brief written statement that essentially said nothing.

During the Ontario election campaign, Premier Dalton McGuinty promised to relocate a controversial power plant project in Mississauga, yet work at the site continued this week. (Canadian Press)

It repeated the promise to re-locate the plant and hinted that talks with the company involved are under way. But that was it.

No explanation for why despite being halted before election day, construction was going ahead anyway.

The Conservatives and New Democrats raised a fuss and would have gained more traction with the issue, had it not been for the Klees announcement that he wants the Speaker's job. While it is now unclear exactly how seriously he is committed to the race for the job, presto, the Liberal misdirection campaign kicked in to cover over the campaign promise.

Suddenly there were Liberal sources available to tell reporters there was a 'rift' in the Conservative caucus and that Klees's decision essentially gave the government majority status because since Confederation, Speakers in minority parliaments have voted with the government on confidence motions in the event of a tie.

Then, to add to the bizarre nature of the story, Liberal sources were saying "thanks, but no thanks" to Klees because four Liberal MPPs —including Donna Cansfield, one beneficiary of the premier's announcement to halt construction — wanted to be Speaker.

Sources also said neither she nor the three other candidates — Kevin Flynn, David Levac, and David Zimmer — would be asked to step out of the contest.

'Division' among PCs?

Then on Wednesday of this week, in a bit of political mischief by the master of such things, Finance Minister Dwight Duncan casually told reporters that while the provincial economy is chugging along nicely, he worried that the "division" in the Conservative caucus might just cause things to change.

Duncan went a step further and offered the observation that Klees isn't alone in his disenchantment with Hudak. Duncan claims he's talked with other Tories — he didn’t reveal how many or who they were — who have said they too have concerns about their leader and their party.

Misdirection complete. No questions this week about the Mississauga power plant. No questions this week about campaign promise that appears to be broken.

A number of years ago, after the first McGuinty term, one of his then-senior advisors said to me that before you make any decision, you need to know your exit strategy.

So, on the power plant, what is the Liberals' exit strategy? And how much more will be built before the premier or his energy minister have decided what it is?

But when they've finally made up their minds, you can count on it being expensive, very expensive,