OTTAWA—They have seen the enemy, and it is them — or, more specifically, someone who works with them.

In its newest fundraising appeal, the Conservative party has chosen an unexpected adversary — namely, one of its own government departments — to try to drum up dollars from supporters.

Conservatives are asking people to give money so that Health Canada, which is headed by Health Minister Rona Ambrose, doesn’t again decide to give heroin to addicts.

Ambrose did make clear last week that she wasn’t pleased when Health Canada approved money for medically administered heroin to 16 addicts, even though it came under the government’s own “special access program.”

But now the Conservative party, which perpetually casts itself as outsiders to Ottawa and the corridors of power, is taking that one step farther — as a political force in need of cash to combat decisions by its own public servants.

“Drug treatment programs should be focused on ending drug use — not giving illicit drugs to drug addicts,” says the newest notice on the Conservative website, which also was sent to email subscribers. “That’s why I was shocked to learn today that Health Canada approved applications to give heroin to addicts — against the wishes of our elected government.”

The fundraising appeal is signed by Fred DeLorey, director of political operations for the party.

Ambrose’s office, when asked about the letter, sent the Star a statement in which the minister explains that the special access program allows Health Canada to permit distribution of drugs that aren’t approved — but that heroin should not have been considered one of these drugs.

Conservative spokesman Cory Hann would say only that he doesn’t discuss “internal party communications.”

Conservatives aren’t the only ones ratcheting up their fundraising efforts, however, as Sept. 30 looms. This is the deadline to have donations recorded in the third quarter of 2013 — figures that will be released later this year and will serve as a scorecard of how well the parties are faring in a controversy-filled year.

Liberals across Canada, for instance, are being peppered with emails from the party’s new chief fundraiser and Montreal businessman Stephen Bronfman, who is bluntly warning partisans that they have to raise their game — and their individual donations — to get at least $300,000 put in the war chest by next week.

The emails are personalized, containing details of what the recipient has donated to date this year and how much more they can send to the party before reaching the legal limits for 2013 contributions. Donors can also enter a contest to win a dinner with new leader Justin Trudeau.

“When I’m making tough business decisions, I need real-time data at my fingertips,” Bronfman said in one of the latest emails that rolled out this week. “Deciding to contribute is no different. That’s why Justin sent you your donor history associated with this email address.”

Bronfman’s emails also contain charts, showing the Liberals ahead of the New Democrats in fundraising, but still markedly behind the Conservatives. He warns that the Conservatives will keep using this advantage to hammer the Liberals.

“They’re amassing millions they can use on more television attack ads against us. If we don’t radically change this picture now, pretty soon it will be too late,” Bronfman writes.

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New Democrats, meanwhile, have been getting emails from deputy national director Chantal Vallerand, urging party members to give money to get “organizers on the ground” and campaign operations set up for future by-elections in Toronto and Quebec.

“It’s a big country. We have a lot of ground to cover,” Vallerand writes.

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