Election talk is ramping up ahead of the federal budget, with Industry Minister Jim Prentice and Liberal House Leader Ralph Goodale trading barbs over which party is competent to govern the country's finances.
For the past few days, Prentice has accused the Liberals of making campaign-style promises that would cost taxpayers $98 billion. But Goodale said Tuesday the Tories look at the economic record of their own finance minister.
"In two years, this profligate government, this finance minister from Ontario who blew the fiscal framework in that province by $5 billion, is now in the process of doing that same thing in Ottawa," he told CTV's Mike Duffy Live.
"When industries in trouble like livestock or manufacturing or forestry look for a little common sense assistance, they're told the cupboard is bare. Why? Because this government in two years has destroyed the fiscal security that it took the previous 12 years to build up."
Flaherty was finance minister for Ontario's Progressive Conservatives from 2001 to 2002, before the party lost power in 2003. The incoming Liberals accused Flaherty and his party of leaving them with a potential deficit of $5.6 billion.
But ahead of the Feb. 26 federal budget, Industry Minister Jim Prentice has repeatedly criticized the ability of the Liberal party to govern the country's finances.
He has claimed that recent election-style promises by the Liberals add up to $98 billion, and could leave Canada with a $62.5 billion debt.
In particular, he has singled out Liberal Leader Stephane Dion and foreign affairs critic Bob Rae.
"I don't think it's too much to ask the Liberal Party -- and Mr. Dion and Mr. Rae -- to come clean and explain to Canadians how they're going to pay for this," Prentice told Mike Duffy Live.
As the former NDP premier of Ontario from 1990 to 1995, Rae governed Ontario during a massive recession. But Prentice said he only mentioned Rae because of his work on preparing the Liberals for an election campaign.
"I raised Mr. Rae's name because Mr. Rae is working on the platform for Mr. Dion," said Prentice.
Prentice also defended Flaherty's federal track record as finance minister, noting that the two previous budgets have given money back to taxpayers.
"He has brought in two solid budgets under the leadership of Prime Minister Stephen Harper," he said. "They've been good budgets. We've done exactly what we've promised taxpayers we would do. They've been surplus budgets and we've reduced taxes."
Dion has not said whether his party will support the Conservative government's federal budget, setting up a possible election trigger when Parliament votes on the document in March.
"We'll assess it when we see it, and I will not speculate," Dion told reporters. "One thing is clear: we will have a prudent approach."
