OTTAWA — When Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government throws stones at the NDP for having members who supported separatist parties, it is throwing them from inside a glass house. A review of Elections Québec records by The Huffington Post Canada shows at least three New Democrat MPs and two Conservative cabinet ministers have supported separatist parties in Quebec since 2000.

NDP MPs François Choquette, Anne-Marie Day and Alexandre Boulerice made financial contributions to Québec Solidaire, a left-wing sovereigntist party, as recently as 2012. Tory Infrastructure Minister Denis Lebel and Small Business and Tourism Minister Maxime Bernier both donated to the Parti Québécois before being elected to Parliament.

Choquette, elected the MP for Drummond in 2011, made 12 donations totalling $560 to Québec Solidaire in 2011 and 2012. Boulerice, the MP for Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie, gave a total of $2,520 in 32 separate donations to Québec Solidaire between 2006 and 2012. Neither returned calls for comments.

Day, the MP for Charlesbourg–Haute-Saint-Charles, gave $100 to Québec Solidaire to support a candidate in the 2012 provincial election.

“I supported Élaine Hémond; I do not support Québec Solidaire,” she told Huff Post, adding that she is not a sovereigntist.

Quebec NDP MPs canvassed this week said they were told by party leader Thomas Mulcair’s office not to make any political contributions during the Quebec election, in order to avoid controversy.

“I’m pretty sure no one in my party will be making donations, because we’re very strict on this,” Isabelle Morin, MP for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce–Lachine, told HuffPost Thursday.

“My colleague, Alexandre Boulerice, was attacked in the House of Commons for the contributions he made, so they told us ‘no more.’”

The Liberals and the Prime Minister’s Office told HuffPost they had given no such instructions to their MPs.

Liberal MP Marc Garneau said in an interview that if NDP MPs need to be told not to give to a sovereigntist party, “it is probably because there was a concern that some of them may not be 100 per cent committed to federalism.”

Garneau said Mulcair’s position of remaining neutral during the Quebec race where sovereignty is a major issue is not the behaviour expected of someone who is hoping to become prime minister. Lots of Quebecers want to hear from a leader who is committed to federalism, the MP for Westmount–Ville-Marie said.

Bloc Québécois MP Jean-François Fortin said Mulcair speaks from both sides of his mouth.

“In Quebec, he is much softer on nationalism, but in the rest of Canada, he’s Captain Canada, someone who will take a tough stance against separatists and will be better than [Liberal Leader Justin] Trudeau to crush the sovereignty movement,” the MP for Haute-Gaspésie–La Mitis–Matane–Matapédia said.

NDP spokesman David Patry had no comment to make about the NDP MPs’ political contributions or about Mulcair’s instructions to his caucus.

“Mr. Mulcair has fought for Canada during the 1980 and 1995 referendum. It's pretty clear where he stands,” Patry’s one-line email said.

Fortin said he believes the NDP doesn’t want its MPs involved in the provincial race because the unity question risks dividing the federal caucus.

“Several NDP MPs voted yes during the 1995 referendum, others have supported sovereigntist parties like Québec Solidaire,” Fortin said.

“There is an uneasiness about the question of nationhood. … Perhaps, this [banning NDP MPs from any involvement in the provincial election] is a way to ensure that the NDP doesn’t show its true colours publicly.”

Several NDP MPs have already shown their interest on Facebook by liking PQ minister Jean-François Lisée or Québec Solidaire candidates and spokespeople such as Amir Khadir and Françoise David.