It might be best to start today's election note tying up a loose end. Yesterday I talked about the idea of a leaders' debate in Thunder Bay next Friday to focus on northern Ontario issues. Progressive Conservative leader, Tim Hudak, has confirmed he will attend and NDP leader, Andrea Horwath, will also be there. The Liberals were leaning to not have Dalton McGuinty take part.

Yesterday evening the Liberals finally came up with their official response to why Dalton McGuinty is declining the invitation.

Liberal campaign chair, Greg Sobara, asked the TV consortium to make sure the TV leaders' debate on September 27 will deal with northern issues.

The televised leaders' debate provides the only opportunity for all Northern Ontario residents to see the three leaders debate the issues. As such, I am requesting on behalf of the Ontario Liberal Party that one of the six broad themes be dedicated to Northern Ontario issues.

This morning the TV consortium responded to the Liberal request saying "we will honour the commitment to solicit questions from across Ontario, and choose those that seem to be asked most often."

In other words, the consortium said maybe – maybe not.

Both the Progressive Conservatives and the NDP quickly weighed in with news releases about the Liberal stand.

The Tories say the Liberals released their northern policy in north Toronto last week and then followed up with this jibe.

Today the Ontario PC Party is announcing that if Dalton McGuinty is unwilling to make the trip to Northern Ontario for the debate, we will foot the bill for him to participate via video-conference from North Toronto.

A few minutes later it was the NDPs turn.

Dalton McGuinty tells northern families that a TV debate in Toronto will be good enough to cover the challenges facing the north. Northerners disagree.

The release went on to lift a line from a Thunder Bay web article in Tbnewswatch,

Thunder Bay-Atikokan Liberal candidate Bill Mauro said while he hasn't spoken to McGuinty on the issue, he hopes and even prays that the debate will happen.

Mauro is the riding MPP but in 2007 he won by the narrowest of margins – a mere 50 votes ahead of the NDP candidate. No wonder Mauro is praying McGuinty will show up!

Tbnewswatch reported last night that McGuinty gave a four-minute speech to supporters in Thunder Bay but took no questions from reporters. Readers of the online news site were quick to respond to that with comments like this.

Showed up and made a less than 4 minute speech and didn't take any questions. Why did you even bother coming here?

So it is very possible that another Liberal seat is in jeopardy. The NDP would be the beneficiary in Thunder Bay and in a couple of other northern seats. McGuinty is headed for Sault Ste Marie where he will take questions from reporters.

There are a number of seats in the GTA that the NDP are closing in on. I'll take a closer look at some of them in the coming days but Davenport, York-South Weston, Bramalea-Gore-Malton and even Don Valley East could all end up in the NDP column on October 6.

If that happens a minority government becomes a very real possibility. Andrea Horwath would then hold the balance of power in Ontario. Horwath will be in the hot seat tonight at CP24s town hall on LeDrew Live.

You can always take part in the town hall. Send us your questions for Horwath on Twitter @CP24. Use the #CP24elxn hashtag. Also, send us an email at LeDrewLive@cp24.com.

We also stream the whole hour live at cp24.com/live with a live chat.