What’s more important than an election?

The birth of a child, that’s what. Conservative wagon-master Dave Penner - the man who keeps the tour running on time - was pulled off the campaign late Wednesday with word his wife had gone into labour.

Penner, who already has one young son, dashed off from the Montreal airport and hurried to an Ottawa hospital for the arrival of the couple’s second child, which wasn’t due until the second week of February.

After a night spent in hospital, the labour abruptly stopped and the couple was sent home. The genial Penner, who also ran the tour in the 2004 campaign, may get the O.K. to rejoin the tour in Ontario tomorrow.