Stephen Harper is back in town for a brief visit, but he will be off again soon on important government business -- and the foreign trips have the added political benefit of his not being in town to face opposition critics.

Increasingly here at home, Mr. Harper is being asked to account for promises he made on the campaign trail. That is one of the down sides of finally winning the big chair. Almost every Prime Minister I ever knew. in their enthusiasm to win, overpromised and underperformed.

For instance, Brian Mulroney campaigned hard in 1984 against Liberal party entitlements to the faithful. But then on the very day he was sworn in, Mulroney met with his national patronage action committee to start doling out jobs.

In 2006 a highlight of Harper's campaign was his effecting savaging of the Chretien-Martin Liberals over their job creation programs for Liberals. Harper promised to clean up what he called an unethical system. He pledged to create a non-partisan public appointments commission, so cushy, pensionable government jobs would go to people of merit only.

Two elections later, we're still waiting, it has never happened.

Last week the Liberals rolled out a list of 232 appointees to government jobs, all faithful Conservatives. That of course included Senators, which Mr. Harper said he would never appoint. He has now sent more unelected members to the senate in 12 months than any Prime Minister ever.

Of course the Liberals who are now attacking Harper, had the real pedigree for patronage. The best they can say in their defense is, "we never promised not to -- he did!"

When the next election comes, Prime Minister Harper will be in the unfamiliar position of being on the defensive -- on this and other promises.

Whatever great things Stephen Harper or Michael Ignatieff offer us on the campaign trail, history would suggest, don't bank on it.