MONTREAL (CP) - Winter stung the NDP campaign tour for the first time Wednesday but party leader Jack Layton never felt it because he provided his own hot air.
Facing a bitter cold wind that made the temperature feel like -18, Layton decided to hold an outdoor news conference to talk about ethics. He wanted the cameras to show him in front of the federal government building where Justice John Gomery held hearings on the sponsorship scandal.
Reporters and NDP staffers watched jealously as Layton spoke in front of the warm orange glow of two space heaters.
He ended his speech admitting he had nothing specific to propose.
"If you don't have a specific proposal, why are we all out here freezing?" a television reporter asked to howls of laughter.
"Because we're in Montreal and this is what happens," Layton said, then added for good measure: "We will pursue fairness in the next arrangement."
