By The Canadian Press

OTTAWA - The federal Liberals were using their opposition day to debate the Harper government's handling of the swine-flu outbreak.

MP Carolyn Bennett, the Liberal health critic, says the party will demand that $460 million earmarked in the 2006 budget for pandemic preparedness be "returned" to the provinces to help them cope with H1N1.

But the Liberals weren't moving a motion of non-confidence in the minority Conservatives, despite earlier claims that people are dying on the government's watch.

Opposition parties went after the Tories during an emergency debate in the House of Commons this week over long lineups and vaccine shortages at flu-shot clinics, which have stoked public confusion and frustration.

Supply of the vaccine hit a snag last week after Quebec manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline switched from making the adjuvanted version of the vaccine - which contains a booster compound - to making special unadjuvanted batches for pregnant women.

The changeover apparently slowed production of the H1N1 vaccine more than the drugmaker had expected.

Consequently, at least one province - Alberta - ran out of H1N1 vaccine and had to temporarily close clinics this week, and other provinces are warning of dwindling supplies.

The Tories defend the rollout, saying more than six million doses of vaccine have already been sent to the provinces and territories, and 10 to 20 per cent of the populace in many communities have been vaccinated.