On Thursday, the Conservatives launched an attack on Liberal MP Chrystia Freeland’s record as trade critic, pointing to her absence from committee meetings and Question Period record as proof she and her party aren’t particularly interested in the file.

In late January — several months after the celebrated author and financial journalist won the riding of Toronto Centre in a tough byelection — the party named her trade critic, replacing Wayne Easter in the role.

Easter, who was disappointed to be moved, had been one of a callow Ed Fast’s toughest opponents as he got the hang of his new portfolio.

But given Freeland’s global background, putting her in the position made sense.

Since she became trade critic, however, the Liberals have peculiarly divided up responsibilities: While Freeland is quoted in press releases and occasionally appears in debates in the House — on the free trade agreement with Honduras, for example — Liberal MP Massimo Pacetti has stood in for her on a permanent basis on the international trade committee.

For the Conservatives, Pacetti’s presence has been a welcome change from the fiercely critical Easter, but resentment has nonetheless been building on their and the NDP’s side.

And Freeland’s participation next week in a high-profile panel on the the Conservatives’ Global Markets Action Plan (GMAP), it seems, was the last straw.

“I’m looking here at an invitation to an event called The Panel,” Erin O’Toole, parliamentary secretary to the minister of international trade, said to Fast in trade committee Thursday.

“The only MP on the panel is Freeland, who is the Liberal trade critic I understand, but has never attended a trade committee meeting — including our last few weeks on the Global Markets Action Plan.”

Had she reached out to the minister? O’Toole wanted to know, because her interest in the GMAP came as a surprise.

“Well, Mr. O’Toole, I do note that Mr. Pacetti is a member of this committee. And from everything I’ve heard, he’s been a very productive participant on this committee. And his input is valued. But you are correct…notably absent,” Fast answered.

“I’ve never once received a question from her in the House of Commons on trade. Not once. I don’t know why that is.”

In a members’ statement later in the afternoon, Conservative MP Randy Hoback — a member of the trade committee — fleshed it out.

“The Liberal International trade critic, the member for Toronto-Centre, is not even a member of the international trade committee. Since she was appointed critic, she has missed 39 hours of testimony from 68 witnesses. She has never even asked the minister of international trade a question in this House,” he said.

“Trade and jobs are not a priority for the Liberal leader or his economic advisors.”

In an emailed response, Liberal spokesperson Kate Purchase took issue with the Conservatives’ assessment of Freeland’s record.

“First of all, we have a great representative in Massimo Pacetti on the committee. Chrystia has been hugely engaged on the file, asking many questions in the House, as well as giving many statements. In addition to that, she was the first speaker for us in the debate on the Honduras Free Trade bill,” she wrote.

“And finally, in addition to all of that, she is out there working in the file day to day, including most recently when she was the only Canadian MP speaking at the Inclusive Capitalism conference that included Mark Carney and Christine Lagarde.”