Federal Liberals were openly wooing members of the media at their national caucus retreat Tuesday in an attempt to demonstrate how different they are from the governing Conservatives.

Reporters were told there would be "no pepper spray" and were guaranteed access to Leader Stephane Dion and his MPs as they gathered in St. John's, Newfoundland.

One senior Dion staffer told reporters there would be no RCMP presence at the meeting.

It was a half-joking reference to a Conservative caucus retreat earlier this summer in Charlottetown. There, RCMP shooed media from the lobby of the Delta hotel where Tory MPs were meeting. Hotel management agreed with the action.

By contrast, reporters in Newfoundland today accompanied Dion on a whale-watching trip and were also scheduled to have a dinner with the leader.