So what are the Liberals thinking about for Monday? Pick one from the list below: Mr. Dion--THAT, in light of the Conservatives’ failure to recognize the seriousness of Canada’s economic situation, and its failure in particular to present any credible plan to stimulate the Canadian economy and to help workers and businesses in hard-pressed sectors such as manufacturing, the automotive industry and forestry, this House has lost confidence...   more »

Michael Ignatieff has been notching some key 'wins' when it comes to support from his caucus colleagues but today, Nova Scotia MP Mike Savage declares for Iggy rival Bob Rae:

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We understand that, this afternoon, thinner budgets means fewer people working in the Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition. At least eleven staffers have been let go in the OLO.

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Rae is popular among Liberals in many parts of the country but in Ontario, there are LIberals who worry his tenure as the NDP premier who had the misfortune of presiding over a rough recession that left a big hole in the provincial treasury will not be remembered fondly by Ontario voters. Sunday's meeting will be Rae's first chance in this relatively short leadership contest to convince his Ontario colleagues that his name can indeed win more seats for Liberal brand in Ontario.

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Now, here's an interesting little conspiracy theory advanced to me this afternoon by a smart and enthusiastic Hill staffer: The Conservatives may be interested in seeing anyone -- even another Liberal - take the Speaker's job, so long as it's not Liberal Peter Milliken. Here's why...

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In the wake of last night's French-language debates -- which our pollster says Dion did best at -- the war rooms of the major parties have been issuing releases left, right, and centre today. These are some summaries of all of the press releases filling my inbox today. It all ...   more »

Chief Electoral Officer Marc Mayrand issued his ruling today [PDF here] on an application by Stéphane Dion's Liberal leadership campaign for an extension to pay off campaign debts. Like he did for other leadership candidates, Mayrand gave Dion until the end of 2009 to pay off debts that , as of June 3, added up to $690,000. If Dion's team takes all of the extension to pay that off, he will most certainly be fighting the next general election campaign while fighting to pay off his leadership campaign.

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Here's the blurb from the Liberal campaign: Mr. Valeriote and Mr. Brison took specific aim at Conservative Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, who earlier this year told a business audience that Ontario is “the last place” to invest.... He's up against NDP candidate Tom King -- he of CBC's Dead Dog Café fame -- as well as city councillor and Conservative candidate Gloria Kovach and the Green Party's environment critic Mike Nagy.... Kovach has been winning municipal elections for a long time in Guelph but the Conservatives put themselves behind the eight-ball when the national party stepped in earlier this year to fire the locally-chosen candidate Brett Barr.

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On holiday, finally getting a chance to read Jean Chrétien's My Years as Prime Minister.

After working on Bay Street, covering technology companies for nearly a decade, I moved to Ottawa to try my hand at political reporting in the winter of 2005, just as Paul Martin's tenure as PM was winding down. As a result, I missed the Chrétien years and, as I start to read his memoirs of his time in power, I'm keen to see what he has to say, particularly in light of what I know about the current incumbent and how he conducts himself in office..   more »

In Ottawa today, many young people are out and about doing a little political work on behalf of the Conservative Party. They are wearing bright, yellow t-shirts and are handing out cards that suggest Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion will tax anything. A reader of this blog sent along some pics, one of which is reproduced here, that s/he snapped with the comment: "I wonder if they're junior tories or if this was the best they could do in the summer job department!"

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