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KITCHENER, Ont. - Accusations that free student passes for Canada's national parks are part of a federalist plot aimed at separatists were dismissed as "bizarre" Thursday by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Talking after a local transit-funding announcement, Harper derided the separatist party for its conspiracy theory related to passes for Canada's eighth graders.
"It's the habit of the Bloc Quebecois to see anything as a federalist plot," Harper said.
In a letter sent to eighth-graders across the country, including those in Quebec, Harper tells the students they can visit Canada’s national parks for free for up to 12 months.
Among other things, the letter urges the students to "explore our mountains, our forests, our battlefields, our forts, our campsites and more."
The letter drew condemnation from Bloc MP Carole Lavallee, who said referring to the nation's youth as future leaders of Canada amounts to propaganda.
Harper said while that kind of response is bizarre it comes as no surprise.
What it does, he said, is raise questions about the willingness of the Liberals and New Democrats to form a potential alliance with the Bloc in an effort to defeat his minority Conservative government.
"The Liberals and the NDP are going to have a lot of explaining to do, why they want to be a coalition partner with a party that thinks things like the national parks are a federalist plot," Harper said, clearly enjoying himself.
He made no reference to a letter to the Governor General he signed in 2004 that suggested he would work with the Bloc if the then-Liberal minority government under Paul Martin was defeated.
The prime minister noted the parks system is an important source of tourism and the government was only trying to encourage young Canadians to experience the "full beauty" of the country.
The parks are a "national treasure" and those who have visited them know it is a "great experience," he said.
"I can assure you, it's not a federalist plot but it is of course another reminder of why we live in such a great country."
Lavallee responded Thursday to Harper's remarks.
"What I denounced yesterday (Wednesday) is the fact that Stephen Harper is chiming in to high school youth and is once again creating propaganda and interference, while education is the Quebec government's domain," Lavallee said.
"That's really what I denounced."
Harper also said the government remained concerned about the sluggish U.S. economic growth.
His top priority "by a very wide margin" for the fall session of Parliament will be the economy, he said, although he repeated plans to end special stimulus spending next March.
Other Conservative priorities include criminal-justice and national-security initiatives, he said.
