In its length, in its cost and in its debate schedule, this election is unusual. The first and possibly only real debate of the campaign ended and here are the highlights of what happened.

With oil prices in free fall and oil companies scaling back production and a recession looking more and more imminent, the rosy $1.9 billion surplus the Conservatives wanted to campaign on has vanished and is now projected become a $2.3 billion deficit.

Keystone proponents have flooded the American airwaves with ads trying to convince Americans and President Barack Obama to either accept or turn down the Keystone pipeline. This ad, slotted to air during tomorrow’s State of the Union address, shows how heated the debate can get as the Keystone project has been framed as being of greater benefit to the Chinese than to average American consumers. The spot features a picture of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Chinese ex-premier Wen Jiabao shaking hands to the narration of “a sucker’s deal for America.”

The Conservative government has shut down hundreds of federal and world renowned research facilities as part of their war on science. The bulk of facilities affected pertained to the climate science that has actively gotten in the way of the government’s coveted pipeline projects. The Conservatives are silencing their critics as they cut scientific funding in the name of ideological gain.

Who said Canadian politics is boring? This year has been a news-maker filled with controversy and action. From the battle that wages over the economy to the one being waged in the senate, Canadian political junkies had ample opportunities to gather popcorn or join the discussion over the issues that matter to them.

With 209 conditions that need to be met, the joint panel reviewing the Northern Gateway pipeline proposal has given the idea a green light, leaving the final decision in the hands of the federal government.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s bold showcase in New York City on September 26 cost taxpayers $65,500 and featured keystone lobbyists.

Major U.S. Democratic Party fundraiser Tom Steyer sent a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper suggesting his firm lobbying for the XL Keystone pipeline may have contributed to the U.S. shut down.

US President Barack Obama drew a clear line in the sand today on where he stands on the controversial keystone pipeline project. Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver responded to the remarks, saying he’s confident the facts support the approval of the project in a time when the Conservatives will likely be shifting their attention to the resource-based economy.

Climatologists have been warning the world for years about the ramifications of climate change. It is no secret global temperatures are on the rise and as the earth continually tries to regain equilibrium, climatic anomalies will continue to stagger in severity. Is the recent flooding, crippling Calgary, simply an act of god, or an example of what climatologists have long been predicting?