Prime Minister Stephen Harper, right, listens while Quebec Premier Jean Charest speaks during a news conference.
Quebec is looking to cash in on the federal election and Premier Jean Charest is setting his sights on three priorities: oil and gas development in the Gulf of St. Lawrence; compensation for harmonization of the sales tax; and a share of the multi-billion-dollar federal ship-building contract.
After months of negotiations and just before the election call, Quebec and Ottawa struck a deal Tuesday on the Old Harry offshore oil and gas prospect in the Gulf of St-Lawrence.
Old Harry represents one of the largest untapped hydrocarbon reserves in Eastern Canada. While Quebec has its sights on a potentially lucrative new source of oil and gas revenues, the Conservatives are looking to reap political gains from the deal in a number of Eastern Quebec ridings.
The Conservatives may also seek more political gains by announcing a $2.2-billion compensation package for Quebec similar to what Ontario and British Columbia received in 2009 for harmonizing provincial sales taxes with the federal GST. Mr. Charest appears eager to get a settlement during the campaign.
"The federal government has settled (with other provinces) outside the federal budget ... So they can do it whenever they want," he said.
While the first two issues are either settled or close to it, the third one involving a $33-billion federal ship construction contract is more problematic.
Ottawa decided that the construction of large ships will be split among two of the country's three shipyards, pitting the East Coast, Quebec and West Coast companies against one another.
Then last month Ottawa decided that all competitors must be financially solvent before entering a bid by next July. But the Davie Yards in Lévis, near Quebec City, is currently insolvent and is seeking financial backers. If the company fails, the region could lose hundreds of high-paying jobs.
Mr. Charest said he won't stand by and let that happen.
"There's one issue that is very particular to the Quebec City area and that's the procurement contract for naval ships, which is extremely lucrative, it's a big contract. ...That's an issue in which we have a very special interest."
After refusing money to build a new sports arena in Quebec City, the Conservatives will be hard-pressed to also say no to the Lévis shipyard. The Conservatives hold five ridings in the two cities and another three in the immediate area.
The shipyard may become "a very special issue" indeed.