TIM BELFORD

Another minority government in Canada?

And they're off!

That's right. Another federal election and the candidates are campaigning for all they're worth.

But this time not even the boys in Las Vegas can handicap this race.

Out of the gate it's a field of 308. On the rail there are 133 Liberals with there ever-popular red silks.

The middle of the track is taken up by 98 Conservatives jockeying for position with 18 NDP and 4 Independents.

While on the outside we've got 53 Bloc Quebecois running virtually unchallenged.

There are also two pre-race scratches who were slated to run in a claiming race later this month. Those have been cancelled, however, because of the main event.

How to pick 'em?

Well, we could go by popularity. Mind you, that doesn't tell us much.

Apart from a double dip following the release of the first half of the Gomery report, the Liberals have bobbed up and down between 33 and just under 39 percent.

The Tories, meanwhile, have topped out at 30 percent .

As for the others, the NDP can't break the 20 percent barrier and the Bloc have settled in at about 104 percent of Quebec voters.

As to the popularity of the leaders themselves we have a recent poll showing that if Canadians lost their wallet, 24 percent think Jack Layton would give it back.

Some 21 percent believe Paul Martin would return it but only after using the money to buy us something we needed.

Some 18 percent say Stephen Harper would return it with a lecture on taking better care of our things.

And 10 percent say Gilles Duceppe would bring it back except for Quebec voters, 90 percent of whom say not only would he give it back but he'd throw in a little extra cash for free day care, free university tuition, and unlimited health care.

If, as they say, money can buy an election, it looks good for the Tories who have raised $11 million in the first nine months of the year.

The Liberals meanwhile, are about $1 million in debt and have promised to repay the $1.14 million which, according to the Gomery commission, they borrowed from Canadian taxpayers earlier.

The Bloc Quebecois has only raised $303,000 but according to party sources they don't think they'll have to spend much anyway.

So there you have it.

To win a majority the Conservatives will have to take 57 new seats. And since they can't count on too many more in the West or the East and none in Quebec, they'll have to do it - again - in Ontario.

Does the term minority government' ring a bell?