Electoral rumblings roll out of Ottawa

Perhaps MP's are anxious to escape the coldest portion of an Ottawa winter, ready to trade in slushing through the snow of their home riding's in a quest for a return engagement in Canada's sometimes theatre of the absurd.

And while the hints of this week may not lead to an election campaign any time soon, it does seem that all of the federal parties are preparing their troops for what now seems like an inevitable 2011 election campaign.

And while we probably won't be battling the snowdrifts (or monsoon like rains for the West Coasters) on the way to cast a vote, the most likely period of time for a national vote being bounced around has Canadians making the trek to the polling booth sometime this Spring.

As we examined on the blog earlier this week, the hints first started with the debut of some Conservative attack ads which rehashed the theme of Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff as but a wandering traveller of the Canadian political landscape, ready to bolt back to the welcoming arms of academic life in but a moment's notice.

The ads had barely had their first cycle of the nation's television options when we learned of an internal NDP memo which put the party's workers on alert that the writ could be dropped any day and it was best to be prepared.

Today it was the turn of the Liberals to show that there's no moss gathering under the toes, as they launched their own advertising blitz highlighting the theme of the day being a question "if this is your Canada or Harper's?" 


Even the Bloc Quebecois is feeling the election fever, providing their own talking points of an anticipation of holding onto their domination of the Quebec electoral count in the next federal election.


All in all a process that offers up a thought that this minority government may be heaving its final gasps of breath, providing for the prospect of "an election if necessary, but not necessarily an election".

Some of the political commentary on the latest excitement from the Hill can be found below.

Globe and Mail-- NDP girds for next possible election window
Globe and Mail-- Spring election? How the Quebec factor might play out
National Post-- Liberals position themselves to the left of NDP
National Post-- Liberals, after decrying attack ads, launch their own
Toronto Star-- Harper fixated on keeping Liberal enemy in sight
Toronto Star-- How about a Harper-Layton coalition?
Toronto Star-- Leaders racing through red election lights
Toronto Sun-- Stephen Harper winning pre-election bouts
Toronto Sun-- New Tory ads flunk the feeling test
Toronto Sun-- Coalition called out
Macleans-- How to translate double-talk
Macleans-- Ignatieff's new target