Updated throughout the day when so moved...

PM disputes Pentagon price tag for F-35s, says Canada not affected by cost hikes (March 30, 2011 - The Canadian Press) A former senior procurement bureaucrat at National Defence flatly dismissed Harper's numbers. The former defence official, who once championed the F-35, but is now one of its fiercest critics, called Harper's explanation "absurd." Alan Williams, who headed procurement at National Defence until 2005, said the U.S. will not sell the fighter to Canada at less than what its own military pays. [See also: Laurie Hawn: Grumpy, Insulting, and Wrong]

NDP candidate withdraws from race to back Liberal in bid to unseat Conservative (March 30, 2011 - The Canadian Press) The NDP candidate for the Ontario riding of Elgin-Middlesex-London has pulled out of the race for the May 2 federal election. Ryan Dolby says he will support Liberal candidate Graham Warwick, in his effort to unseat Conservative Joe Preston. Dolby told radio station AM980 he didn't want to split the vote.

Harper's coalition assertion: 'They tried it before' (March 29, 2011 - CBC News Reality Check) At the core of Stephen Harper's argument that the Liberals, the NDP and the Bloc will form a coalition if the Conservatives win only a minority this election is his assertion that that is what they tried to do in 2008. In his words, "they tried it before." There is a serious problem with that argument. It simply isn't true. [Video]

Another questionable campaign worker sends Harper scrambling (March 30, 2011 - Globe and Mail) Conservative Leader Stephen Harper is distancing himself from another tainted political organizer who found a home in a local candidate's campaign. Giulio Maturi, who was a top official in the campaign of disgraced former Montreal mayoral candidate Benoit Labonte in 2009, was listed as late as Wednesday afternoon as the campaign manager for a Montreal Conservative candidate. [story broken by Le Devoir: Ethique - D'anciens employes conservateurs reviennent hanter Harper. See also: Why is Doug Finley working the Conservative Campaign?