According to this report in The Toronto Star , Stephen Harper feels no need to wait to force an election – and if I were advising him, I’d agree. Why wait, when all the other parties seem to be cooperating with the Gomery Inquiry and the press to guarantee a one-issue (well zero-issue really) vote?

Granted, the Liberals can’t be expected to do much more than they are doing – playing defence and occasionally abandoning ship with that famous Liberal loyalty on display. The Bloc will introduce their non-confidence motion later this week, which will further highlight AdScam, while allowing Harper to say he won’t let separatists call an election. Very cooperative of M. Duceppe. And the NDP will… um, hello NDP?

I’m going to give Layton and company the benefit of the doubt and assume they are hunkered down at HQ, building a solid platform based on real issues facing real Canadians. Sadly, unless Layton starts getting himself in the papers and in front of the cameras a bit more, real issues won’t enter into it.