From the NDP caucus meeting in St. John’s, Thomas Mulcair made a speech about their “positive, optimistic” future, and how the road to 2015 starts now. As part of that road, the party plans to target youth voters in the next election. Meanwhile, MPs have reaffirmed their belief that 50 percent-plus-one is enough for Quebec to separate, which has the Liberals sounding like they plan to put a motion on the Order Paper about support for the Clarity Act this fall.

The Liberals have formally announced the rules for their leadership contest, which kicks off in November. While We The Media wait to hear whether or not Justin Trudeau will run (who says the party needs teamwork and not a saviour), we’re now getting musings from Jim Karygiannis (aka “Jimmy K”) and Joyce Murray.

Pauline Marois referred to herself as “Head of State.” Um, no. That’s the Queen. You might be the province’s head of government (provided that you can maintain the confidence of the Chamber in a minority context), but you’re not the Head of State. Not even close.

Stephen Harper talked trade with China in a Bloomberg interview ahead of the APEC summit.

Peter Kent has announced weaker than expected coal-fired power emissions regulations.

Apparently Vic Toews objected to a posting for a Wiccan chaplain for a BC prison.

The CRTC gave the Conservatives a warning over their internal do-not-call list (text here), which they insist is totally different from the fine the CRTC imposed on the Liberal riding association in Vaughan.

Former Public Safety minister Stockwell Day testified in a case involving a security certificate – but gave a lot of “I can’t recalls” in his answers. The former assistant director of intelligence at CSIS talks about how the security certificate process has changed and evolved over the years, including better safeguards and scrutiny.

Paul Wells has an explanation for the Conservatives’ latest media strategy around the scary NDP “tax on everything.”

The stepfather of a soldier who committed suicide says that the military’s withholding the suicide note for 14 months was an attempted cover-up.

Over in the Guelph robo-call case, the role of Michael Sona in the whole affair remains unknown, but new revelations and retractions about previous allegations makes for interesting reading.

And Peter MacKay and Nazanin Afshin-Jam are expecting.