The provincial Liberals, fresh off a win and a loss (to the NDP) in last week's triple by-election, have retreated to Niagara Falls to begin policy (aka platform) planning for the upcoming election.

While this is one of the first public moves by the ruling party towards election plans, there's little doubt this is the first time they've met to discuss it. As with election time, you haven't, and likely won't, hear any major announcements by the government on anything.

In a four year cycle, you spend two years governing, and two years getting re-elected.

Look for major topics in the new platform to involve education, health care wait times, and the environment - the issue du jour.

Other parties are starting to ramp up as well. Just this afternoon, I had Olivia Chow knock on my door. I was expecting someone else, so I just yelled "come in!" Which she did, though I think the sight of me in my pajamas wasn't what either of us was expecting...

[note: I know Olivia Chow is a federal MP now, but her visit serves two purposes. One, to help herself when the NDP and the Libs drop the hammer on Harper and we get a snap election called in the next, oh let's say, 5 weeks. And two, her face in the crowd now works when she's back supporting the NDP candidate for the provincial campaign.]