IT IS the time of year when Canadian politicians pack up their papers in Ottawa, and fan out across the country for the gruelling round of voter-pleasing known as the barbecue circuit. This year some opponents of Stephen Harper’s Conservative government will tuck into their steaks and burgers with new hope. Not only have the Conservatives lost ground in opinion polls (see chart), but the opposition reckons that last month’s bruising parliamentary battles over the budget bill reminded Canadians of what they dislike about Mr Harper.
