Is an election in the wind?

Just because the opposition Bloc Québécois say they will support the budget of Canada's Conservative minority government, one shouldn't assume that the odds of a spring election are low. The opposition Liberals, NDP and Bloc Québécois are all true worshipers of Kyotology and appear to be intolerable to anything short of a full commitment by the government to meet Kyoto's greenhouse gas emissions targets.

Here's a news article with a quote from Environment Minister John Baird:

"I am prepared to face the electorate," Baird told reporters, referring to a number of government plans, including fighting climate change.

The opposition parties have proposed scores of amendments to the Conservatives' Clean Air Act – amendments that would put into law the Kyoto Protocol's emission targets, which the government says are unachievable.

For their part, Stephen Harper's Conservatives appear to be standing firm, essentially calling the opposition's collective bluff. And why wouldn't they? They have been steadily improving in the polls ever since the Liberals selected their current leader. The most recent polls come very close to putting them into majority government territory.

Mr. Baird is essentially saying to the opposition "Go ahead, make my day".

All it will take to avoid an election is for one of Dion, Layton or Duceppe to blink and come out in support of the Clean Air Act. Will any one of them have the sense to do so?

If not, looks like we're heading for a spring election.