SASKATOON- The end of the first full campaign week finds voters being showered with campaign promises, the Saskatchewan Party dominating headlines while the NDP has been placed on the defensive owing to a cartoon fiasco.

After the initial burst of frenzied activity following Lorne Calvert's election announcement almost two weeks ago, the campaign pace slowed over the holiday weekend.

On Tuesday morning, news about the NDP's Nazi-styled cartoon depiction of Elwin Hermanson dominated coverage. Premier Calvert apologized to Hermanson, the Saskatchewan Party and the Jewish community, and two NDP staffers who were responsible for the cartoon left their positions.

This event placed the NDP on the defensive, and the premier's efforts to put the issue behind him and move on to new topics were largely unsuccessful as reaction to the cartoon story continued to attract attention throughout the rest of the week.

The cartoon calamity clearly caught the New Democrats off guard. This fact alone is quite revealing. Surely, this party ought to have expected some sort of retaliatory measure after it strategically released the Sask Party's "hit list" naming NDP supporters in late September. Also, after the summer gaffe over the NDP's "President Shrub" memo, one might expect that party strategists would have been instructed to expect internal communications to leak into the media. Yet once again, the NDP leader was forced to distance himself from errant staff members, and defend his party.

The Saskatchewan Party took full advantage of the opportunity to point out that the New Democrats are fallible. Hermanson objected, rightly, to the offensive depiction, and other party brass called for more resignations and terminations beyond those offered.

What does this event tell us about the party campaigns?

In election contests, all parties must maximize every opportunity to gain an advantage over rivals through careful strategic planning. From this viewpoint, the Sask Party receives full points for a well-executed manoeuvre.

The party timed the release of the cartoon carefully to maximize attention, and worked to keep it alive in the media. Also, the image of an aggrieved Hermanson complaining about this distasteful comparison with Nazi fascists helped to generate sympathy for him.

Such opportunities to present the Sask Party leader's human side are rare, and extraordinarily valuable in terms of helping to foster trust among voters. While such tactics have much potential to backfire if mistakes are made, this event was flawlessly executed. At the end of the first full campaign week, the Sask Party team has demonstrated much organizational and strategic skill.

In the absence of published opinion polling data, we do not know whether this incident will stall growth in support for the NDP. But this event does not bode well for the rest of the campaign.

While the leader moved quickly and appropriately to control potential damage and apologize to aggrieved parties, this was not enough to divert the media's attention to other issues. As well, this second embarrassing staffer gaffe may lead voters to question whether Calvert is able to control his campaign team.

The distasteful nature of this incident may begin to seed doubt as to the New Democrats' trustworthiness. Any such erosion in voters' trust for Calvert and his team presents a severe threat to the NDP's pursuit of a fourth term in power.

The New Democrats must be worried about what other sorts of embarrassing information the Sask Party is planning to release.

Normally, tactics such as the cartoon incident are part of a larger strategic plan, spanning the campaign period. To retain their well-earned reputation for campaign competence, the NDP must eradicate evidence of staffer cynicism, must minimize leaks, must seek control of the issue agenda, and must address the next embarrassing incident with more skill and less surprise.

At the end of the first full campaign week, the Sask Party has seized the initiative and seems to be gaining ground in terms of controlling the issue agenda.

After announcing the release of its platform, copies began to arrive in voters' mailboxes by Friday, Oct. 17. Hermanson is promising homeowners and farmers new tax breaks on the educational portion of local property taxes. Newly graduated students will receive a significant reduction in personal income tax under a Sask Party government.

Also, after initially refusing to release details of its financial donations to the press, the Sask Party reversed this decision quickly and distributed key donation information. Through this tactic, it effectively forestalled many future stories about why the Sask Party decided to hide its donor lists. This was a smart strategic decision and suggests that the Sask Party campaign team focusing on a win.

to top