Conservatives are happily telling all reporters who ask about yesterday's economic update that ordinary Canadians don't give a whit about the public financing of political parties.

Alison Crawford

They say the opposition is only huffing and puffing about the lack of fiscal stimulus in Thursday's statement in an effort to mask their terror at losing the $1.95 per vote subsidy.

Public financing of political parties makes up more than half the revenue for the Bloc Quebecois, NDP and Liberals. Eliminating the subsidy is one of the government proposals made in the economic update.

Well, it seems that at least some ordinary Canadians DO care about the effort to axe the subsidies and are lobbying, on Facebook, to keep it. More than 1,450 people have signed on to the "I Support Public Campaign Financing" page on the social-networking website.

The creator is Devin Johnston, an NDP supporter and law student from Manitoba.

He calls the proposal, "a transparent attack on free and fair elections in Canada. Deficit Jim is using the cover of an economic crisis to undermine his political rivals and revert to a political system that is controlled by the economic elite."

Interestingly enough, several of the people who've joined Johnston's site are also promoting another Facebook group with more than 800 members, "Canadians for a Progressive Coalition."