Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Quebec Premier Jean Charest are at odds on climate change policy. (Jacques Boissinot/Canadian Press)

A war of words has erupted between Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the premier of Quebec, with Jean Charest tearing a strip off Ottawa's environmental performance.

In 25 years in politics, Charest says, he's never seen a federal government rely so heavily on the White House before taking a position on an issue, with Ottawa now saying it will model its climate policy on Washington's.

Charest says the Harper government has displayed hostility toward environmentalists.

And if there are any hard feelings after the Copenhagen climate summit, Charest says, it's the federal government's doing.

"They are totally responsible for what happened at Copenhagen," Charest said in an Tuesday interview with TVA, a French-language news network in Quebec.

He made the remarks after Harper, in his own interview with TVA, suggested provincial governments were wrong to drag their internal squabbling onto the world stage at Copenhagen.

Provinces argue about accountability

Quebec and Ontario argued at the international summit that they should not be made responsible for emissions from the oilsands.

'We can only have one voice at the negotiating table and it's only sovereign countries that can arrive at a consensus.'—Prime Minister Stephen Harper

Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach countered that the oilsands have enriched the rest of the country.

And the federal government declared that Canada's bargaining position was hardly being helped by the interprovincial slugfest being staged in the international arena.

Harper echoed that theme in his French-language year-end interview with TVA. "These perspectives don't have any place on the international stage," Harper said.

"We can only have one voice at the negotiating table and it's only sovereign countries that can arrive at a consensus."

But Charest swung back. He said it was his duty as premier to represent his province's interests.

Ottawa called hostile to environmentalists

Charest also told TVA that the Harper government had demonstrated hostility toward environmentalists.

'Why would I be silent at Copenhagen — I'd say one thing in Quebec and the opposite thing there? Defending Quebec's position is not working against Canada.'—Quebec Premier Jean Charest

Charest cited an on-camera argument between Harper press secretary Dimitri Soudas and Canadian environmentalist Steven Guilbeault.

That spat featured Soudas accusing Guilbeault, with cameras rolling next to them, of being behind a spoof designed to embarrass the Canadian government. That accusation enraged Guilbeault, and American pranksters later claimed responsibility for the stunt.

"You saw it like I did," Charest told TVA. "His press secretary attacking an environmentalist — on the basis of false information."

As for the suggestion that the provinces should have kept Canada's dirty laundry in Canada, Charest was dismissive.

"Mr. Harper wanted me to say nothing at Copenhagen? Why? Why would I be silent at Copenhagen — I'd say one thing in Quebec and the opposite thing there? Defending Quebec's position is not working against Canada."

Provinces concerned about true cost of oilsands

Several energy-consuming provinces fear they will be forced to make additional greenhouse-gas cuts to compensate for emissions growth in the oilsands.

They also fear that if Canada is seen as a laggard on climate change, the whole country could be slapped with punitive tariffs.

The position from Alberta is that the oilsands have pumped billions into other provinces' coffers and that should be taken into account while divvying up emissions targets.

As for Harper and Charest, theirs has been a rocky political marriage.

Harper's 2006 promise to fix an alleged fiscal imbalance and transfer money to the provinces was greeted warmly by Charest, and it helped the Tories get elected.

Charest's own fortunes subsequently rose — with his once-dismal popularity surging as he extracted concessions from Ottawa, including recognition of a Québécois nation.

But their relationship went south over time, as Harper took positions that were unpopular in Quebec on issues like arts funding, justice policy, and climate change.

Charest spoke out against those policies, perhaps winning him plaudits at home but losing him friends in Ottawa.

There had been signs in recent months, however, that their relationship was improving.