Federal Parties Prepare for Road Trips As Election Speculation Sizzles

By THE CANADIAN PRESS

OTTAWA – Bus outfitting companies across Canada are scrambling to fill orders from the main federal parties for election campaign buses.

With the federal election traffic light blinking a constant yellow, the Conservatives, Liberals and New Democrats are spending money.

They’re fitting buses in several regions of the country with office tables, high-speed Internet connections and enough coffee spill-proof wiring to stretch from Montreal to Toronto.

Sources say the federal Liberals placed an order last week for three buses – two of which were used by Ontario’s Liberal premier, Dalton McGuinty, during his last provincial campaign.

The Conservatives signed contracts for several buses as well – in some cases weeks ago – to refit buses that were on order last fall for a campaign that never took place.

The New Democrats, meanwhile, are said to be in negotiations for buses they hope to have sent to decal shops within two weeks – outfitted with many of the materials used in the 2005-2006 campaign.

There has been mounting speculation that the Liberals under leader Stephane Dion could spark an election over the minority Conservative government’s budget, set to be unveiled Feb. 26.

A critical vote on the budget is expected one week later.