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On Tuesday Prime Minister Stephen Harper and two of his cabinet ministers rolled out a promised overhaul to consumer protection laws that will introduce fines for people who put unsafe goods on stores shelves and allow the government to recall products that are deemed hazardous.

The update to the federal Food and Drugs Act - the first in 50 years - and a new Consumer Product Safety Act were applauded by safety organizations and industry organizations.

The announcement came only days after Mr. Harper's return from a successful trip to Europe and a NATO meeting that saw the Prime Minister leave with a promise of additional troops from France and the U.S. to bolster Canada's efforts in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, one of his MPs was on the hot seat for his homophobic remarks on a video from 1991 made when he was working on the provincial campaign of Progressive Conservative candidate Grant Devine. Tom Lukiwski apologized twice, but not before his party faced repeated calls for his resignation as parliamentary secretary.

And what of the Liberal Party? Last week it brought three new members into the House of Commons, including failed leadership candidate Bob Rae.

As Jane Taber wrote in her Notebook last weekend, Mr. Rae's arrival was met with mixed feelings by his fellow Grits. "Many in the Ignatieff crowd (and there are still many Michael Ignatieff supporters in the caucus) are pleased that Mr. Rae brings added strength to the front bench, but they are not pleased about his influence with the leader, Stéphane Dion," she wrote.

How do you feel about Mr. Harper's trip to NATO? And what about Mr. Rae, Mr. Dion and Mr. Ignatieff? And then there's Jack Layton's NDP.

We are pleased that Ms. Taber, The Globe's senior political writer in Ottawa, will is joining us online now to answer questions about federal politics on this week's instalment of The Hill_Live.

Send your questions and follow the discussion. Your questions and Ms. Taber's answers appear at the bottom of this page.

Ms. Taber is also the co-host of CTV's "Question Period" and has covered Parliament Hill since 1986.

She started her career at The Ottawa Citizen and later became the host of a weekly political affairs program on WTN, "Jane Taber's Ottawa." She has also covered the Hill for The National Post.

Editor's Note: globeandmail.com editors will read and allow or reject each question/comment. Comments/questions may be edited for length or clarity. HTML is not allowed. We will not publish questions/comments that include personal attacks on participants in these discussions, that make false or unsubstantiated allegations, that purport to quote people or reports where the purported quote or fact cannot be easily verified, or questions/comments that include vulgar language or libellous statements. Preference will be given to readers who submit questions/comments using their full name and home town, rather than a pseudonym.

Christine Diemert, globeandmail.com: Hi Jane and thanks for joining us today. I'm going to start the discussion by addressing an issue that comes up all the time for reporters and news organizations that run their stories, and that's questions from the public about bias. Whether the stories are about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, Tibet and China, or Conservatives and Liberals in the House of Commons, one person perceives a reporter leaning one way while his neighbour sees an entirely different tilt.

To illustrate my point I'm going to post several questions we received for this discussion:.

Carl Smith from Montreal Canada writes: I voted Liberal in the last Federal Election now I want to know if you are honest enough to tell us who you voted for Jane? Going by your reporting my guess would be Conservative. Right?

Elmo Harris from Niagara Canada writes: Will there be anyone from the Liberal side taking questions as well?

Jenny Rodgers from Canada writes: why is a Liberal taking questions on anything?

Abby U from Dartmouth Canada writes: Why does your program Question Period as well as your's and Craig Oliver's appearance on Mike Duffy promote the Liberal Party agenda, often making excuses for this pathetic national party and its defunct leader?

Political Junkie from Canada writes: Is it possible for political journalists to be non-partisan? There seems to be a great deal of bias in favour of the Conservatives or the Liberals or the NDP eminating from all but a very few journalists. Is it naive or unreasonable to expect balanced journalism?

Jane Taber: Hi Chris and thanks so much for inviting me to chat with our readers today. I am accused -- in both print and on television -- of being a Liberal or a Conservative. I have never been considered a New Democrat.

I take some comfort from the fact that some people think I lean one way and others think I lean another. So it means I'm doing something right.

I can tell you I and my colleagues struggle with balance. We are very conscious of making sure that our stories and our interviews (on television) are balanced.

The issue of fairness and balance is something that has been drilled into my head since I was a journalism student at Carleton back in the late '70s. All I can say is that I don't have an agenda and I don't believe that I am favouring one party over another. I am the messenger and am trying to provide the best information I can to Globe readers.

J. Kenneth Yurchuk from Toronto Canada writes: Ms. Taber, Both the Liberal and Conservative parties, according to most polls, are both near their base support lines. I would chatacterize that as the lowest level of support these parties are likely to get under normal circumstances; close to 30 %. No third party has stepped up to realistically challenge them (the Greens have made gains but not enough to even seriously challenge the NDP for third. Do you find that Canadians feel there is a leadership deficit in politics across the board, and what do you think could break the deadlock?

Jane Taber: Mr. Yurchuk: Yes, I do think that Canadians are struggling with what you characterize as the "leadership deficit" in politics today. Liberal leader Stephane Dion has not caught on among Canadians. He is working hard but he seems to be having difficulty connecting with Canadians and getting out his message. Mr. Harper as well is not a fuzzy, warm politician and we hear constantly that many Canadian voters are suspicious of what he and his party would do if he formed a majority government. Given all this I also believe that Canadians are not focused on politics or the political plays in Ottawa. I think that when an election is called Canadians will focus on these issues and the leadership issue. I think then you will see the deadlock broken. Both leaders know their weaknesses; Mr. Harper and Mr. Dion are intelligent men and I believe will be working to improve for an election campaign.

David Guy from Canada writes: Hi Jane, A lot of fuss was made when Harper was first elected of his relationship with the media. I heard Sandra Buckler even earned some uncomplimentary nicknames. Now that a bit of time has passed, is it getting any better? Is he becoming more relaxed in dealing with the media?

Mark Moore from Tilbury Canada writes: Will there be a spring election? If so, what will trigger it?

Jane Taber: Mr. Guy and Mr. Moore: Thanks so much for your questions! First, the media question and our relationship with the PMO. Very little has changed. The PMO and the Prime Minister are still very controlling and wary of the national media. This is suprising given that Mr. Harper is so good in press conferences and I felt conducted himself so well in Bucharest during the NATO Summit. He is very thorough and extremley professional in his answers. Despite this the PMO played favourites on the trip. One reporter, a Toronto Star reporter, was not included in a series of off-the-record chats with the Prime Minister after he had the temerity to ask about comments made by Tom Lukiwski, one of his caucus members. Mr. Lukiwski, a Tory MP from Saskatchewan, was on videotape making homophobic remarks. Mr. Harper did not respond to the issue until Monday, when he had returned from his trip.

Spring election? Well, I lost a $100 bet with my colleague from CTV, Craig Oliver, after I predicted there would be an election over the Tory budget. So I'm kind of gun shy about making election predictions. But I will not totally rule out a spring election triggered by a defeat of the budget implementation bill that includes the immigration reforms. There is a lot of pressure on the Liberals not to support these initiatives. But if we don't see something happen in the next few weeks then a spring election is unlikely. Politicians would not want to campaign in the summer. The last possible date to trigger an election would have to be in late April or early May for a mid-June election day.

Roslyn Ritz from Montreal Canada writes: Apr.9,2008: The P.M. is a man of low integrity. He lied to the two and one half million Canadians who purchased Income Trust on his promise to permit them to exist. Another example is Tom Lukiwski. I am ashamed that the foreign press and at least half the world heard the disgusting remarks of a member of the Canadian Parliament. He should have been asked to resign for the disgusting and untrue remarks about gays. Furthermore the video made sport of the Ukrainians. I am deeply ashamed that the caliber of the Conservative caucus and their leader is so dismal. Bring on the Liberals.

A. Donald Patterson from Windsor Canada writes: Do you not think that Jack Layton should be chastised for digging back 16 years to smear the Tory MP. After all when we were young we all said some crazy things. The man was humble enough to sincerely apologize but no, the pompous Layton keeps pushing for his resignation. No wonder the NDP party is but a joke as long as this attitude by their leader continues.

Jane Taber: Ms. Ritz and Mr. Patterson: The Lukiwski comments caused much controversy around here. The controversy, however, seems to have died down. Mr. Lukiwski's apology was very sincere. The Prime Minister has asked his opposition colleagues to accept it and as far as he is concerned the issue is over. I am of the view that Mr. Lukiwski should have offered his resignation as parliamentary secretary when the tape emerged. He is a member of the government and has a senior position as a House officer. As for sanctions against Mr. Layton: He was not the one who unearthed the tape. It came from the NDP in Saskatchewan. He wasn't digging back into anything. The tape emerged because the Conservatives failed to clean up their offices properly and the provincial NDP found it when they moved in. It was as simple as that.

David Jewell from United States writes: I read the head lines of the Globe and Mail, the Star, the Sun, and the Gazzette every morning, in order to keep abreast of Canadian news. Why does the Globe and Mail seem to be the periodical that seems to be the most obsessed with issues that involve bringing down the current government? All of the other newspapers report that the current government is more popular now than it was just two months ago.

Jane Taber: Mr. Jewell: That's an interesting observation. But I don't think we're obsessed at all. Perhaps, (and at the risk of sounding very arrogant) we just have better sources than our competitors at the Star and the Gazette. We know what's going on here on Parliament Hill.

Seriously, however, I can say that our leadership at the newspaper has a keen interest in Ottawa, politics and government policy, more so, I would argue, than the leadership at The Toronto Star. We are very fortunate here in the Ottawa bureau because our stories are often well played in the newspaper. Maybe that's what you are seeing reflected in your perusal of the headlines every morning!

Riley Hennessey from Saint John, NB Canada writes: Jane, What kind of people are advising Dion and why haven't they been fired. Alright, maybe that is a bit harsh. But seriously, what kind of a team does he have in the Leaders Office and why are they not adapting to change or the criticisms Dion has faced since he became leader? I feel like the media and the public have been complaining about the same Dion traits (language, decision making ability, lack of policy) for over a year and nothing has been done. Everytime I hear him finish off the 'Mike Duffy Live' commercial I cringe... he may as well be speaking Japanese. Anyway, I blame his handlers. Thoughts?

Jane Taber: Mr. Hennessey: I don't think you are alone in blaming Mr. Dion's so-called handlers. There is concern among caucus members about Mr. Dion and his weak communication skills. And there are complaints about the advice he is receiving from the people around him. He has made some changes in his office (he recently added a new communications person, Leslie Swartman, who is extremely talented) and as I told another reader he is an intelligent man. Presumably, he knows what he has to do to improve.

Ablin Forone from Canada writes: Catching this last minute, but: 'Do the Liberals want to win a majority, win back a minority, or maybe risk another Tory minority just to get Mr. Dion out of the picture?' Thanks.

Jane Taber: Ablin Forone: I think the Liberals want to win a majority but there are some Grits out there who want an election now to "get it over with". There is a view, and I think it's a limited view, that if an election were held now and the Grits were destroyed that Mr. Dion would have to leave. However, I'm not so sure that he would be forced out if he held the Tories to another minority. In fact, I think that Mr. Harper would be in trouble if he was only able to form another minority government.

Bob Smitherman from Ottawa Canada writes: Dear Ms. Taber, how do you feel Mr. Harper has delivered on his promises of more transparency in government? Much of the criticisms aimed at the previous government were related to a concentration of power in the PMO. Have you seen any improvement on that front, but also on things like access to information?

Jane Taber: Mr. Smitherman: I think that you would find the reviews mixed on the transparency file. The accountability legislation has, I believe, cleaned up some problems around lobbying. I think there the conduct is more professional now. As for concentration of power in the PMO: It is still there. That is a constant complaint, regardless of which party is in government. Government MPs will tell you that they are totally controlled by the PMO. And that's exactly the same thing I heard from Liberal MPs when Mr. Chretien and Mr. Martin were in power. Nothing much changes, does it?

Christine Diemert: Thanks for joining us today Jane. Before we close, is there anything Canadians should look forward to (or dread I suppose) from Ottawa in the near future?

Jane Taber: Thanks, Chris!! I think there is much to look forward to on the political front. Canadians will be going to the polls again, if not this spring then in the fall. And that's when voters will be offered choices on issues of concern -- the economy, the environment and leadership. Elections and the lead-up to elections are always exciting times and defining times. I'm looking forward to all of that. There is nothing to dread!!