Voters walk up to a Vancouver Island polling station near Sidney, B.C., on Oct 14, 2008.Deddeda Stemler
Election speculation reached a high in Ottawa this week as political operatives made the rounds of media outlets offering up background briefings on their party's state of readiness.
House of Commons Speaker Peter Milliken, meanwhile, provided some new ammunition to the opposition, ruling against the government on ethical and accountability issues.
The Speaker found that "on its face," the Harper government withheld information from a parliamentary committee; he found, too, that the issue of International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda and whether she may have misled Parliament warranted further study.
This was on Wednesday.
The next day, Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page released a report stating the real lifetime cost of the government's new F-35 fighter jets is $30-billion - not the $17.6-billion the Tories have suggested.
Add this up and it was not a good week for the Harper Tories - but one that seems to have emboldened the opposition.
It looks as if Canadians are in for an election campaign soon - so here's a look at what to expect in the 36-day political battle.