Michael Sona with Prime Minister Stephen Harper in undated photo released by the Prime Minister's Office. Sona is the Conservative staffer who has resigned “amid 'robocalls' probe.” But was he the only member of his party involved or in some way responsible? The Liberals and New Democrats don’t think so! And neither do some high-profile journalists.

Sunday, February 26, 2010, at the edge of a great lake in the northern North American wilderness. Waiting for Oscar, looking in on the NDP federal leadership debate in Winnipeg (thank you CPAC) … and, despite my better judgment, finally starting to wonder about the May 2, 2011 robocalls election scandal (or whatever it is) in not-so-pure-as-the-driven-snow Canada.

My own first reaction when this subject was first raised at a counterweights editorial board meeting this past week was ho hum … what else is new? And how much of this will anyone remember on October 19, 2015 – the fixed date for the next Canadian federal election?

I think that is still my ultimate reaction, when I dwell on the thing. But today I have also started to be more impressed by the sheer volume and tenor of the current media coverage. Here is a quick and dirty chronology of the past week, that I have just sat down and assembled (in between listening to Mr. Mulcair tell the lovely Ms. Ashton what he would do to boost NDP propsects in Western Canada):

The NDP’s Pat Martin, Winnipeg Centre, says he is aware of at least 34 ridings that received automated phone calls, although his party lists only 29. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld.

FEB 21 … Elections Canada investigating `robocalls’ that misled voters

FEB 22 … Transcription of fake Elections Canada voice blast to select voters in riding of Guelph

FEB 23 … Harper denies Conservative link to fraudulent election ‘robocalls’

FEB 24 … Conservative staffer resigns amid ‘robocalls’ probe

FEB 24 … Ibbitson: Does anything-you-can-get-away-with mentality foster Tory cheaters?

FEB 24 … Coyne: Crank-call scandal fits the Conservatives’ pattern of political expediency

FEB 24 … Canada’s Watergate: opposition … PM says Tories not behind fake automated calls to voters

FEB 25 … Staffer linked to election robocall scandal leaves post: Reports

FEB 25 … Rae claims ‘robocalls’ contributed to Liberal candidates’ defeat … Former NDP MP is asking Elections Canada to investigate suspicious activity

FEB 25 … Canada entering a ‘Nixonian moment’ after alleged voter suppression: Rae

FEB 26 … Tricks no ’24-hour wonder’ … Liberals, NDP to keep campaign shenanigans in spotlight

FEB 26 … Opposition claims number of ridings impacted by false robocalls rising … New Democrat MP Pat Martin says he is aware of at least 34 ridings that received automated phone calls , although his party lists only 29 … Meanwhile, Liberal Leader Bob Rae said his party is aware of 27 ridings, but he expects the number to rise by Monday, when the [Canadian] House of Commons resumes.

Interim Liberal leader Bob Rae speaks to the media in Toronto on Saturday at a press conference over alleged robocalls to Liberal supporters in last year’s election. Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press.

So … stay tuned. Who knows? This may be the beginning of some kind of turning-the-tables on the “adscam … sponsorship scandal” that did so much to put the Harper Conservatives into office in 2006. For the moment I remain a professional sceptic myself. But I have been especially impressed by the definitely conservative John Ibbitson’s argument that “it is certainly true the Tories push their campaign tactics to the edge of legality and sometimes beyond … And they may have instilled such an intensely partisan anything-you-can-get-away-with mentality among their campaign workers that one or more of them concluded it would be okay to cross the line of legality … This is a mirror into which Stephen Harper and everyone who works for him should be looking.” (And by the parallel musings of the less definitely conservative Andrew Coyne.)