A page out of his own book

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One day after his Quebec lieutenant quit in protest, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff led off his questions in French with a distinct focus on Quebec.

Having combed through Prime Minister Stephen Harper's third report card on stimulus spending, the Liberals say the figures on page 80 show Quebeckers are losing out.

"Quebec's unemployment rate is higher than the national average, yet Quebeckers are receiving the lowest per capita infrastructure funding in all of Canada," Mr. Ignatieff said. "How does the Prime Minister explain this? How does he explain his own numbers?"

The Prime Minister said his rival's accusations were "completely false," noting there will be "a more or less rough per capita distribution" of the stimulus cash.

"Rather than flailing around trying to come up with excuses for an unnecessary and wasteful election the Leader of the Opposition and his party should be supporting the economic action plan, should be supporting these projects in Quebec and all across this country," said Mr. Harper.

Liberal researchers compared the provincial stimulus numbers to census figures and concluded that Quebeckers are receiving the lowest per capita amount at $172.10 per citizen, with Newfoundland the highest at $364.20 per citizen.

Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe was on a similar theme, one that he has stuck too consistently in Question Period. He, too, has been reading Mr. Harper's report card, but it was another page that caught his eye.

"Is it a coincidence that, all of a sudden, we find in his nice report, on page 142, $10-billion for the auto sector in Ontario and $70-million in aid for the forestry sector in all of Canada?" Mr. Duceppe asked. "Is that the equality the Prime Minister is talking about - everything for Ontario and nothing for Quebec?"

The NDP, meanwhile, think they have found a strong issue to critique both the Liberals and the Conservatives in the harmonized sales tax. The new tax comes into effect July 1 in Ontario and British Columbia, two provinces that make up a significant part of the NDP caucus.

Jack Layton led off his party's questions on the HST today, saying the move will cut $8-billion in corporate taxes yet raise $26-billion through HST and future increases to EI premiums.

"Will the Prime Minister come clean? Why is he picking the pockets of Canadians, but giving big handouts to the big banks and the oil companies?" he said.

The Prime Minister rejected the suggestion his government is raising taxes and pointed out that the NDP caucus voted against the government both times the Tories took a percentage point off the federal goods-and-services tax.

Mr. Harper then noted that the NDP were applauding their opposition to the GST cut.

"This government lowered the GST, the federal sales tax, twice. The NDP voted against it and argued against it both times," the Prime Minister said. "That is why nobody thinks they have any credibility on talking about sales taxes."