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NDP spoof Liberal ad on wasteful government spending

A screengrab from the latest NDP ads, slamming the Conservatives and Liberals on spending.

The Liberal Party’s recent TV ad on the Conservative government’s use of taxpayer’s money for “partisan” advertising has raised the eyebrows of at least a few higher ups in the NDP, who’re retaliating with an ad of their own.

The NDP ad uses the same music and visuals as the Liberal party’s effort, but points to both the Conservatives and Liberals as wasteful spenders, and the LPC particularly so.

The Canadian Press reported earlier this week that the Conservatives are dishing out $13.5 million from government coffers to advertise its “Economic Action Plan” — also known as the federal budget — on both TV and radio.

The Liberals are trying to make the point that the Conservative government is using taxpayer-funded advertising to promote itself and its recently tabled budget. Alongside the ad, the party also used its opposition day motion on Monday to debate the government’s “wasteful spending on partisan ads.”

Liberal MP David McGuinty’s private member’s bill that would see government advertising go through a third party review process will be voted on in the House of Commons Tuesday.

But the NDP doesn’t want anyone to forget about that Liberal advertising scandal a few years back, when public funds were misused for government advertising in Quebec.

The sponsorship scandal has been more than a thorn in the side of the Liberal Party’s ability to get re-elected over the past decade and is cited as a main factor in the Liberal’s defeat in the 2006 federal election.

The Liberal ad, which began running during the NHL playoffs last week, notes that over the past nine years, taxpayers have paid over $750 million for government ads to a total of about three quarters of a billion dollars.

The NDP spoof says that the last time the Liberals were in power, taxpayers fronted $953 million for Liberal government advertisements.