The election campaign kicks into high gear today when Premier John Hogan pays a visit to Government House to ask Lieutenant Governor Joan Marie Aylward to proceed with the formalities and dissolve the Legislature.

Election goodies have been spread around by government to every nook and cranny of the province over the last month, and the two opposition parties have been promising taxpayers everything under the sun, usually without price tags attached.

The Liberals have a majority in the House of Assembly despite the recent departure of three members who are not running again.

The last time Newfoundland and Labrador went to the polls provincially, Liberal Andrew Furey, PC Ches Crosbie and NDP Alison Coffin were the competitors, so all three parties have new faces at the helm with Liberal Hogan, PC Tony Wakeham and NDP Jim Dinn.

The minimum length of an election is 28 days. For Premier Hogan to meet the mandatory fixed election date of October 14 he has to make the call today. The betting is that the call will come at about 6:00 tonight.