With a spring election possibly on the horizon, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff announced his party would help fund a hockey arena in Quebec City if elected.
Ignatieff made the announcement in Quebec City, where the Conservative government waffled on helping build a new professional hockey arena, before ultimately deciding not to invest federal taxpayer dollars.
"There will be an alternative to the Conservatives who are saying no and the NDP that can't do anything, the Bloc (Québécois) that can't deliver anything, and the Liberal party that can deliver the goods on the arena question," Ignatieff said.
"Mr. Harper . . . said no to the arena. And I say yes, so there's a clear distinction there."
Ignatieff said he supports funding for a new arena, if it's a multifunctional public space. But he said he has yet to see a business plan for the proposed $400-million arena.
"If you have a public space that can serve the cultural and economic interests of a whole region, then it seems to me that's the kind of thing a federal government can participate in," he said.
"That's why we think the Colisée is a good idea for Quebec and we would take the same view for other cities across the country."
Ignatieff's opponents were quick to attack his pledge.
"He wants to subsidize professional sports teams that are owned by billionaires who hire millionaires. It's just outrageous," Conservative MP and Government House Leader John Baird said.
"There's no question Michael Ignatieff is pandering for votes in the Quebec City region," added NDP MP Thomas Mulcair.
Quebec City Mayor Regis Labeaume had asked for $180 million for a new hockey arena from Ottawa, which would be built in hopes of luring the return of an NHL team.
After the Conservatives eventually declined to fund the arena, Labeaume went on local radio saying the party had committed "political suicide".
The majority of the Tories 11 seats in the province are around Quebec City.
Derek Fildebrandt, the national research director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said funding sports arenas is a waste of money, particularly because of the federal deficit. "They've deemed that millionaire sports players and billionaire sports owners are in dire need of corporate welfare," he said on CTV's Power Play of the Liberal policy.
"When no party has any real plan to get our spending under control and balance the budget, for the Liberal leader to come up with an announcement like this is entirely irresponsible."
