You could see this coming:

Canada’s government calls an early election

Prolonged speculation over whether Canada’s minority Conservative government would call an early election has ended with Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s announcement that voters will go to the polls on October 14th. This is a full year ahead of the date Mr Harper proposed in legislation submitted after he assumed power in January. In putting aside that date, Mr Harper says he aims to address the “dysfunctional” parliament. However, it is more likely that yet another minority government will emerge.

Both Mr Harper and the opposition Liberal Party have recently dropped hints that they might be ready to go to the polls sooner rather than later. Mr Harper earlier insisted that his minority government would not precipitate an election before the scheduled 2009 date. But he laid down the gauntlet in early August, challenging the Liberals to pass various pieces of Conservative legislation when parliament reconvenes on September 15th, or to topple the government by joining forces with the other two opposition parties to reject the bills. …

You could see this coming, and it won’t likely change anything.

Canada’s government calls an early election

Prolonged speculation over whether Canada’s minority Conservative government would call an early election has ended with Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s announcement that voters will go to the polls on October 14th. This is a full year ahead of the date Mr Harper proposed in legislation submitted after he assumed power in January. In putting aside that date, Mr Harper says he aims to address the “dysfunctional” parliament. However, it is more likely that yet another minority government will emerge.

Both Mr Harper and the opposition Liberal Party have recently dropped hints that they might be ready to go to the polls sooner rather than later. Mr Harper earlier insisted that his minority government would not precipitate an election before the scheduled 2009 date. But he laid down the gauntlet in early August, challenging the Liberals to pass various pieces of Conservative legislation when parliament reconvenes on September 15th, or to topple the government by joining forces with the other two opposition parties to reject the bills. …

From the Department of It’s About Time

Hundreds of former Canadian soldiers will receive
compensation for being assigned to participate in atomic bomb test
explosions by the U.S. and British militaries in the 1960s, the Defense
Ministry said Tuesday.

Defense Minister Peter MacKay said the soldiers were involved in
operations in the United States, Australia and the South Pacific from the
end of World War II until the international treaty banning atmospheric
test explosions was signed in 1963.

Canada’s government will also compensate former military personnel who
assisted with emergency decontamination efforts at the Chalk River nuclear
plant in Ontario following two major nuclear reactor accidents in 1952 and
1958, MacKay said.

In total, 900 former soldiers or families of deceased veterans will
receive payments of $22,000 each, Mackay said.

From Auntie Beeb:

Canada’s Arctic ice shelves have lost a colossal area this year, scientists report, with one 50 sq km shelf breaking off completely.

Al Gore, you were saying?