Mired in a minority, Stephen Harper's federal government continues to take partisan politics to new heights in Canada.

It's a playbook that hard-core Republicans south of the border would take pride in.

The most recent example would be the flyers distributed to areas with large Jewish populations. Paid for with tax dollars, the pamphlets depict Liberal MPs as being anti-Semitic (one points to Liberal attendance at a controversial South African conference, but fails to point out that a Grit MP was later thanked by Israel for attending).

Pronouncing the tactic a "new low," Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff has written to Commons Speaker Peter Milliken, calling for new limits on tax-funded flyers. If Milliken responds it will be the third time in only a matter of months he has ruled that Conservative pamphlets violate the rules.

Other examples of blatant partisanship include the parade of stimulus cheques containing the Tory logo. (Incredibly, in one riding a Conservative candidate was trotted out for photo ops instead of the local MP in at least five funding announcements.)

Then there's the official Olympic logo to be worn by Canadian athletes at the upcoming winter games in Vancouver/Whistler - a stylized blue 'C' with a red maple leaf inside it. The Tory logo? A stylized blue 'C' with a red maple leaf inside it.

Last week, a Conservative MP decided to ignore a school board's policy banning the promotion of political parties, and offered students water bottles featuring the party logo.

And there's more.

Applicants to the federal Accelerated Economist Training Program suddenly have to produce an essay - more than 1,000 words - on the last federal budget. Given Harper's past statements that the civil service is too Liberal, how many job applicants are likely to be critical of the budget?

Now, this is not to say that the other parties are innocent when it comes to taking shots at their rivals, but clearly Harper's Conservatives have taken partisan politics to a new level in this country.

It would be useless for anyone in the media to suggest that Harper tone it down (he told an audience of Toronto business people last week that he doesn't even watch Canadian news, preferring the U.S. networks), and his disdain for the Ottawa press corps is well known.

But partisan use of tax dollars is unacceptable.

Milliken needs to respond to Ignatieff's request and help stop the abuse.