Shortly before Joe Oliver put a stake in the constant early election speculation by announcing an April budget, Pundit’s Guide posted a particularly adept analysis of measures in the Fair Elections Act that demonstrate that while there is a fixed election date and a minimum length for campaigns, there is no maximum length, meaning that the writs could drop earlier than six weeks before the election. What is new is that it would mean that the spending limits would be higher, because the new law allows the limit to stretch, whereas it used to be fixed, no matter if the campaign was six weeks or eight. Higher spending limits mean more for certain parties, more flush with cash than others, can spend on advertising and so on, and overall be used to both financially exhaust some parties, or to really backload their ad spending into the last two or three weeks and carpet bomb things in a very American fashion. She also noted that the federal Conservatives have no interest in stepping on a likely spring election in Alberta and the Ontario PC leadership contest. (See her on Power Play here). It’s certainly food for thought, and gives us one more thing to look at, to guess as to when the writs will drop for the October election rather than this pointless speculation about a spring election.

Good reads:

• Word that the would-be jihaidst who ran down that soldier in St. Jean-sur-Richelieu had a peace bond denied for lack of evidence points to ways that the government will be looking to reform anti-terror laws.
• Bad news for the economy with Target suddenly pulling out of Canada, along with Sony and Mexx closing their stores. Graham F. Scott gives an excellent recap of Target’s woes in Canada.
• Slow clap for the CRA for not doing their due diligence and slapping a lien on the wrong person.
• The Canadian Press takes their Baloney Meter™ to Paul Dewar’s claim that the government is discriminating against Muslims in choosing Syrian refugees to resettle.
• Aaron Wherry muses about reducing cabinet sizes, but completely ignores the history and importance of cabinet as a mechanism of federalism in our political history.

Odds and ends:

Gail Shea will be running again in the election, and apparently will have some stiff competition.

Any takeover of BlackBerry could be blocked for national security reasons. No, seriously.

Stephen Harper has postponed hosting a “Three Amigos” summit with the US and Mexico, and hasn’t offered a reason why or a new date yet.