Questions with one answer: election

If there was any doubt of a federal election as soon as the Liberals can be tricked into it, it's now gone.

Things are getting more and more favourable for Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Tories.

First off, the Quebec election showed a revival of the conservative element in that province: strongly autonomous - as they would like to see their province, but not separatist - something with which the Tories could work.

The ADQ - with 41 seats, almost a third of the national Assembly - now offers solid places from which the federal Tories can build their comeback in Quebec. The spirits of provincial Union Nationale and the federal Creditistes are far from expired in Quebec. It's now a question of how the federal Tories can harness this reinvigorated energy - and control it.

The RCMP issue appears to be one where the government of the day - and not Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day - put in place several civilian senior staffers, who allegedly hired family and friends and began to mismanage things.

Sound familiar?

Once the shock and awe of all of this is over, the Tories will more than likely light onto the stripe of the government then responsible.

As well, there has been a lot of traffic between Ottawa and Kandahar of late, with the latest being Day and others, there to check out policing, finance and women's issues. Governor General Michaele Jean was there recently, tool, to make it clear the Afghani women's international sisters aren't going to ignore their plight any longer.

The prime minister's charge the Liberals are more concerned about the Afghan government's treatment of three Taliban prisoners captured and turned over by Canadians than they are about the lives of Canadian service personnel are strong words -harsh, even. But, they are just as likely to stick. After all, this whole thing between the Liberals and the military has a long history - from Lester Pearson's stoke of genius on unification and integration to the Pierre Trudeau regime and the Jean Chretien aftershock. If anything goes wrong in Afghanistan and our forces take a lot of casualties, it will go very bad on the Liberals - and the NDP.

As for the Atlantic Accord, we can expect Foreign Minister Peter MacKay to come up with something that will ensure we get the full benefit of the agreement; or, at least, the good explanation we're not likely to lose a penny because of any royalties cap anyway. You could almost think this is scripted for a last-minute “save by MacKay.” Premier Danny Williams and the Newfoundlanders have it more complicated: they are more likely to surpass their cap. Williams' rant against the prime minister - a fellow Tory - didn't help matters. And then we hear from pundits the powers that be in Central Canada, if they know about it at all, aren't too sympathetic to us or our accord.

Meanwhile, for Kings County, the big question remains: is it too late for Kings-Hants MP Scott Brison to don sackcloth and ashes and return to the true blue fold?