Betting the house

With the federal election under way, it’s time to predict the outcome. I think Stephen Harper will gain a few seats, but not enough for a majority. Here are my numbers: Conservatives up seven seats to 150, Liberals down three to 74, Bloc up three to 50, NDP down three to 33, and one Independent. Michael Ignatieff resigns and the next Liberal leader is Dominic LeBlanc, the MP for the New Brunswick riding of Beausejour. Jack Layton steps down and the next leader of the NDP is Olivia Chow, Layton’s wife and the MP for the Ontario riding of Trinity-Spadina.