THE longest federal election campaign in more than a century may very well kick off in the next few days when Prime Minister Stephen Harper is expected to ask Governor General David Johnston to dissolve Parliament.

CBC reported that the Conservatives have planned a major rally in Montreal on Sunday. So we could have an 11-week election campaign that analysts believe would favour the Conservatives because they have the most cash. The party spending limit for a 37-day campaign is $25 million. However, if a campaign is longer than that, then each party can spend $675,000 per day beyond that sum.

Still, in spite of all the taxpayers’ money that the Conservative government has been doling out left, right and centre, they have been unable to pull ahead of the NDP.

Just last week, a Forum Poll found that 34 per cent would have voted NDP if the next federal election had been held then. The Liberals (29%) and the Conservatives (28%) tied for second place. These results represented stability since the July 14 Forum Poll: NDP – 34%, Liberals and Conservatives – 27% each.

These results show that the NDP would form a minority government. Or there could be an NDP-Liberal coalition government.

Of course, we have to wait and see what happens when the election campaign starts and what all could possibly take place in Canada or abroad to affect the voters’ choices. But Harper’s greatest enemy seems to be the voters’ fatigue problem; in other words, change for the sake of change, or anyone but Harper.