The better question is what. As in: What will the election be about?

Because when considered from that perspective, it becomes increasingly obvious there won't be an election this spring. Indeed, the "what question" leads a reasonable observer to conclude there may well not be an election until 2009.

The reason for that certainly has little to do with Stephen Harper. He's been force-feeding Parliament a steady diet of confidence motions in the hope of provoking a terminal reaction. Naturally, he denies that he's trying to orchestrate the demise of his own government. But it may soon be necessary to place the federal cabinet under protective custody from the threat of its own Prime Minister.

Instead, as recent moves demonstrate, it is the Liberals who are unconvinced of the merits of a near-term election. The reason is that they have yet to settle on an answer to the "what question." The options provided to them this session have been clearly deemed inadequate. Based on Stéphane Dion's handling of the loaded pistols tossed to him, it defies common sense and possibly the principle of self-preservation to imagine the Liberals would now willingly pull any of the triggers that still remain cocked." Source...