Saturday Morning Riding Links

A few local campaign notes for your weekend reading...

- Yes, the story receiving the most attention in Quebec today is the polling showing Thomas Mulcair with a twenty-point lead over Martin Cauchon in Outremont. And it's certainly striking to see that a riding considered a Lib stronghold for so long has reached the point where a prominent former cabinet minister is struggling to stay even slightly competitive.

- But the more noteworthy news from the standpoint of changing seat projections may be the latest from Hull-Aylmer. There, the combination of a endorsement from the Public Service Alliance of Canada and a series of missteps by the Bloc's candidate both look like significant boosts for the NDP's Nycole Turmel in one of the party's top Quebec targets - positioning Turmel at least as the clear alternative to Marcel Proulx, if not outright turning the race into a photo-finish in the making.

- In case somebody took the Cons seriously in claiming that no party would allow participants in a public event to present anything other than the party line, Jack Layton has clearly proven otherwise in his Kamloops town hall. And it's particularly worth noting Layton's willingness to answer challenges honestly rather than trying to paper over them or change the subject.

- And for those looking for their own opportunity to meet a leader who isn't afraid of questions, Layton's tour will take him to Saskatoon this morning and La Ronge this afternoon.

Double duty

The Ottawa Citizen reports that Lib MP Marcel Proulx has been named Stephane Dion's provincial lieutenant for Quebec. But it's worth noting that not only did Proulx only win Hull-Aylmer by the skin of his teeth in the 2006 election, but one of his new competitors in the riding is longtime NDP Quebec stalwart Pierre Ducasse. And of course the Bloc and Cons also figure to remain in the mix, especially with the added motivation of making Dion's life more difficult.

It remains to be seen how the riding will play out...and prior to 2004 Hull-Aylmer was a rather safe-looking riding for the Libs. But for now, it looks like Dion has given a major coordinating role to somebody who may need to use a large amount of resources just to save his own seat - which may toss one more monkey wrench into the Libs' attempt to rebuild their Quebec organization.