SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - It's expected that Health Minister Sandy Lee will be announcing her candidacy for the Conservative Party in the upcoming federal election, which could be called as early as Friday.

Dennis Bevington: Western Arctic MP said the election comes as a bit of a surprise. Joe Handley: Liberal candidate said he's ready to hit the campaign trail. Sandy Lee: Health minister did not deny seeking the Conservative nomination.

Reliable sources confirmed Lee, MLA for Range Lake and a past Liberal supporter, will be the Conservative candidate for the Western Arctic riding.

When asked Wednesday whether she's planning on running, Lee did not deny she was, saying she couldn't speak about it at the moment and would "talk about (it) if there was a need to talk about (it)."

"I'm currently an MLA and a minister and that's what I am," Lee told Yellowknifer.

When asked about Lee as the candidate, Doug Witty, president of the NWT Conservative Association, wrote in an e-mail that "the Conservative party does not comment on internal party matters" and deferred to the Conservative Party of Canada headquarters in Ottawa.

Calls to the party headquarters were not returned by press time.

With a federal election imminent, the four political parties in the territory are ramping up for what could be a busy spring.

On Tuesday, all three opposition leaders in the House of Commons told media that they had no plans to support the federal budget. A day later, NDP leader Jack Layton said he was willing to support the budget if Prime Minister Stephen Harper agreed to amendments to the document, however, that gesture disappeared quickly when Harper and Flaherty weren't willing to make any changes.

The opposition leaders said they plan to support a vote of non-confidence, dissolving the current government sending the country to the polls in an anticipated May election.

With an election all but likely, Western Arctic MP Dennis Bevington said it's business as usual in Parliament until a trip to the polls is made official.

"We knew this budget bill was going to be contentious because the Liberals indicated they weren't going to support the government anymore," he said.

Bevington said he's looking forward to hitting the campaign trail ­ if and when the election is called ­ against a former premier in Liberal candidate Joe Handley.

"I like to have a straightforward election and ideas and ability are the things people are looking at," he said, speaking during a break from the House of Commons Wednesday afternoon.

Handley said he's looking forward to a campaign, adding it's time for a change in Parliament.

"Harper's record is becoming worse and worse," he said, pointing to the contempt of Parliament against the Harper government for not revealing information to the House of Commons. He also criticized the corporate tax cuts included in Tuesday's budget.

"I don't think Canadians can take it anymore," he said. "We're ready. I've got my team ready and we will do what we can."

Nancy MacNeill, a spokesperson for the NWT chapter of the Green Party, said the party will be officially announcing Eli Purchase, a longtime Northerner, as their candidate as soon as the writ drops. Due to current contractual obligations with the territorial government, where Purchase is working as a conservation intern with the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, MacNeill said they can't officially announce his candidacy until the contract is terminated.

As for Lee, in the 2006 election race, she worked as then-Liberal candidate Ethel Blondin-Andrew's campaign manager and was rumoured to be a possible candidate for the 2007 federal election. Lee also shows up on Blondin-Andrew's contributors list from 2000, having donated $500 in support of the longtime Liberal MP.