Canadian Conservative budget info demanded

OTTAWA, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Cooperation in crafting the Canadian Conservative party's budget is contingent on the release of economic data, senior Liberals said in Ottawa Monday.

John McCallum, the head of the Liberals' economic committee, and Scott Brison, the party's finance critic showed reporters a letter they delivered to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty Monday morning as he fights to have a budget ready for Jan. 27, the Globe and Mail reported.

Since Parliament was suspended this month to avoid an opposition coalition from toppling Prime Minister Stephen Harper's minority Conservative government and the Liberals named a new interim leader, Harper encouraged the Liberals to play a role in creating a budget.

On Nov. 27, Flaherty gave a brief economic assessment that said the Conservatives would save $10.1 billion over five years by trimming government budgets and selling off undisclosed federal assets.

The Liberals' letter Monday was critical of that being possible, and said they wanted to see government data by Friday the Globe said.

"We do not consider it fiscally prudent or credible to break generally accepted accounting principles and book asset sales before the sales have occurred," the letter said. "We require a detailed plan of which non-financial assets the government plans to sell and at what price."

Should the opposition vote against January's budget, either they will form a new government or the country will face another election.