Indy watch

Chuck Cadman has cancelled a meeting with health minister Ujal Dosanj. Apparently he doesn't want to bother his neighbours. Funniest line in an article not supposed to be funny: It's unclear if Dosanjh had planned to woo Cadman into siding with the Liberals in Thursday's critical vpte on the budget. Of course. This was just part of regularly scheduled meetings the health minister has with all MPs. The article also says that Kilgour will probably vote with the government. Really?

Independent MP David Kilgour yesterday threatened to vote against the budget unless Martin beefs up the number of Canadian troops being deployed to Darfur.

"I will be at the vote and if there isn't substantial change between now and next week, I will be voting with my head up against the government," Kilgour said, adding the 100 troops committed by the PM falls well short of what's needed.

He's also penned an interesting op-ed for the TorStar... UPDATE: Paul Wells asks a good question:

Knowing everything you know about Paul Martin and everything you've seen him do since April, do you think he will take victory in Thursday's vote as a mandate to govern responsibly and diligently until Judge Gomery reports — or as a ticket to campaign for free, from coast to coast on the taxpayer dime, for six straight months at incalculable cost to the public purse, starting on Friday?

UPPERDATE: Kilgour is strongly hinting the gov will fall on the budget, saying an election is needed.