Back in the 1993 election then Opposition Leader Jean Chrétien went to the Delta Hotel down the street from Parliament Hill to unveil his party's platform called Creating Opportunities. With its red cover Creating Opportunities became known as The Red Book.

Throughout the campaign, Chrétien would refer back to the document and its detailed costing of Liberal promises. Progressive Conservative Leader Kim Campbell wondered "Where is the new vision? I don't see it and I think Canadians are looking for a government that's better, not a government that's bigger."

But in a few days the PCs had their own blue book of policy called A Taxpayer's Agenda."

In each campaign after that the Liberals unveiled a red book outlining their policy.

On Monday the Liberals returned to the Delta hotel to unveil their platform, Richer, Fairer, Greener: An Action Plan for the 21st Century.

The red cover is no more. Instead the policy book has a green tinge.

But like the 1993 Red Book, this green book is garnering similar criticism from the governing Conservatives with Stephen Harper calling the plan "a work of political and economic incompetence."

The Liberals are also encouraging journalists to read it online, perhaps to save a tree or two or maybe to save some money.

— Chris Rands