OTTAWA - It seems that without a formal 'campaign issue' the federal Liberals are starting to venture out on to thin ice. Do you remember the outcry that arose when Prime Minister Harper mused about funding a Quebec City hockey arena? I sure do.

It was understood at the time that courting a few votes in Quebec City was not worth alienating other supporters - so it is patently unclear why Ignatieff is now seeking to position himself as the champion of a cause that no one wants.

"Mr. Harper said 'No' to the Colisée," Mr. Ignatieff said. "I say 'Yes' to the Colisée. The contrast could not be clearer."

As it has now been established that the government has existing mechanisms to fund such a project, Mr. Ignatieff is really announcing his intentions to skirt these spending restrictions and regulations. We certainly cannot afford a Prime Minister right now who is so motivated to look for new ways to spend taxpayers' money on programs we don't want.

It seems that Mr. Ignatieff would declare a Quebec City arena to be a 'culture space'. Many people are curious, however, if this announcement is all bluster or if there is substance behind it. How much money, for example, would Ignatieff be willing to commit to this project?

It is much easier to be the Opposition than to be the government in this regard. Ignatieff is free to make vague assertions, pronouncements and accusations without backing them up. The government, however, has to face scrutiny at every turn. While it might be amusing to watch Ignatieff as Prime Minister, trying to justify these assertions it would certainly be harmful to Canada's economic recovery.

Even Paul Martin and Chretien knew that they could not openly fund such expensive projects in Quebec - they had to do it all on the sly. Surely there is someone in the Liberal brain trust that could have understood that Ignatieff musing could help no one. The unwritten rule is that if Liberals want to curry favour in Quebec they should just direct funding/projects there, not talk about it.

With the Liberals unable to capitalize on the F-35 jet issue or the Bev Oda non-scandal, perhaps this is the only issue they can think of. The appearance, however, is that of a party without effective leadership.