Not more than a few days after Prime Minister Stephen Harper lapped it up for cameras when he dropped in on a couple snapping wedding photos, he lapped it up again in predictable fashion on Hallowe’en night when he gave candy to local kids. That’s about the only good news for the PM this morning, however. Postmedia’s John Ivison writes about Conservative divisions over the optics of deep cuts; former Tory staffer Michael Sona, the fall-guy for the robocalls scandal earlier this year, is defending himself very publicly; pensioners are facing long line-ups at Service Canada; and the head of Canada’s army is disagreeing with DND plans to privatize fire protection monitoring at Canadian bases. None of these stories is particularly damning, but remember, the Conservative team still has to deal with vigorous opposition in the Commons to its omnibus budget bill, its moves on the foreign investment file, and its treatment of navigable waters legislation. It’s, um, been a long week.

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What’s above the fold this morning?

The Globe and Mail leads with the aftermath of Sandy and the last week of the U.S. presidential campaign. The National Post fronts the potential reconsideration of China’s one-child policy. The Toronto Star goes above the fold with disturbing video from the Ashley Smith inquest. The Ottawa Citizen leads with new rules forcing federal departments to disclose retired public servants who are hired back on contracts worth more than $10,000. iPolitics fronts news that Quebec’s opposition parties might bring down the government at their first opportunity. National Newswatch showcases Stephen Maher’s story in Postmedia papers about businessman Nathan Jacobson’s bail, granted by a justice department lawyer.

Stories that will be (mostly) missed

1. Federal call centres. Despite the implementation of recent measures meant to help pensioners receive more timely responses from Service Canada, wait times haven’t improved across the board.	2. Missing Aboriginal women. Provincial aboriginal affairs and status of women ministers are meeting to discuss how to properly investigate hundreds of missing and murdered aboriginal women.
3. Iranian property. Three properties tied to the Government of Iran, including its former Ottawa embassy, have been frozen pending the result of a law suit filed by the family of slain American Marla Bennett.	4. Arctic graves. Four men who relocated 20 graves in a northern community over 40 years ago were never paid by the feds. The men’s families are still seeking that compensation, though no one’s willing to offer it, apparently.

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