During his campaign's first stop in Atlantic Canada, Prime Minister Stephen Harper lauded the green merits of the $6.2-billion Lower Churchill River power project. But he remained vague about federal financing, sparking an angry response from Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe.
Speaking at an event in Halifax on Thursday, Harper said developing hydroelectric power generation in Newfoundland and Labrador would help promote green energy across the East Coast.
"This has the potential to be a very important part of our efforts to fight climate change in Canada," Harper told supporters.
However, when it comes to federal funding for the project, Harper remained vague.
"In terms of specifics, those things still have to be discussed," he said.
The governments of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia have been seeking financing for the project. But Quebec has argued that Ottawa contributing federal money would represent an unfair subsidy.
The talks have revolved around a federal loan guarantee to minimize borrowing costs, including funds for a subsea cable that would route power from the hydro project through Nova Scotia.
Harper's comments irked Duceppe, who cried foul on the idea of federal money going to the project.
"The Conservatives intend to finance a competitor of Hydro-Quebec with our own tax money," Duceppe said in Louiseville, Que.
"We never got a cent from Ottawa to finance our electrical transport lines," he added. "It's a slap in the face to Quebec."
Harper will travel to Newfoundland and Labrador later Thursday.
Harper is attempting to rebuild bridges with Newfoundland -- bridges that were shaken in 2008 when then-premier Danny Williams took a hard position against the Tories.
The Conservatives were entirely shut out of the province in that election after Williams carried out a successful "Anything But Conservative" campaign, saying Harper had not helped Newfoundland.
This time, the party has a high-profile candidate in Labrador, where former Innu Nation leader Peter Penashue is running.
Additionally, current Premier Kathy Dunderdale seems to be turning the page on the frosty relations. Several of her cabinet ministers have been seen at Conservative candidate nomination meetings in recent weeks, The Canadian Press reported.
Dunderdale, who actively campaigned against Harper in the 2008 campaign, welcomed the electric project Thursday, saying that Ottawa appears to be listening to the needs of her province.
"The situation that we found ourselves in in the last election was a feeling right across this province that we weren't being heard, that what we put on the table wasn't being taken into account," Dunderdale said.
"The prime minister has made a bold statement here today and has acknowledged for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador that they're being heard."
On Friday, Harper also said he would turn Halifax Harbour into a hub of international trade with India and the European Union if his party is re-elected to government.
Speaking at a shipping yard, the Conservative leader promised to move ahead "full throttle" to complete historic free trade agreements already in progress.
"We are aiming and we are on track to achieve agreement with Europe early next year, 2012, and India the year after that, 2013," Harper said.
Meanwhile, Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter said the plan allows the main partners to hold down electricity costs.
"I spoke to Mr. Harper this evening, and affirmed that this project is a win-win for all of us that will change the economic landscape of this province and the region for generations to come," Dexter said.
"The Lower Churchill project is a game changer for Atlantic Canada, and a major environmental and energy win for all of Canada."
Harper fires campaign salvos
He then quickly launched into a warning about the Liberal track record on free trade, and how a coalition involving the Liberals, Bloc and NDP would damage Canada's international trade relations.
"Imagine today's Liberal Party locked in a parliamentary alliance with the Bloc Quebecois and NDP, trying to negotiate trade agreements. The one hardly ever votes for trade deals, the other never does," Harper said.
"Michael Ignatieff would face more haggling in his own government than he would with foreign trade negotiators. It would be a gong show."
In the scrum after the announcement, Harper faced questions about whether he would agree to a one-on-one debate with Ignatieff in addition to the party leaders debate.
While Harper had suggested Wednesday he was open to the idea, and Ignatieff said he was ready to take part, the Conservative leader said Thursday he was only interested in one debate, and that would be the debate that included the NDP, Liberal and Bloc leaders.
Harper was also grilled on why he was limiting questions from reporters at his news conferences to just four.
Harper didn't give a direct answer, instead saying if there were issues he hadn't addressed, he would take more questions. He then proceeded to take two or three other questions before ending the scrum.
With files from The Canadian Press
