By Sheri Ebert

‘Liberals seem determined’; National Post columnist Kelly McParland

Mar 10, 2011 | 5:42 AM

Talk of a possible spring election continues, with Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff telling national press this week that his party isn't ruling out trying to topple the minority government later this month.

This comes after the Speaker of the House of Commons ruled Wednesday that the Conservative government breached parliamentary privilege in its handling of the Bev Oda scandal, and by refusing to lay out the costs of tough-on-crime legislation.

But National Post columnist, Kelly McParland, said he doesn't think these blows to the Tories are enough to win the Liberals an election.

“The Liberals in particular seem convinced that they can turn this somehow into an election issue. I think most Canadians care about the economy and jobs- that's what they care about. And talking to them about Bev Oda is going to get you nowhere,” McParland said Wednesday.

Would Ignatieff's days as leader be numbered if the party lost an election?

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“If they fail this time, they'll have to pick a new leader. They don't have a strong bunch of candidates for that. They're really looking at the possibility that they could end up a lot deeper in the trough than they already are,” McParland predicted.

A move to topple the government could come in the Commons Mar. 21, a day before the federal budget is released.

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