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WATCH ABOVE: NDP candidate Andrew Thomson says federal Finance Minister Joe Oliver is missing in action as Canada is now in a recession.

OTTAWA – The election trail may be ablaze with talk of recession and the significance of the latest economic growth numbers, but the New Democrats are pointing out the federal finance minister is missing in action.

Joe Oliver was ridiculed at an Ottawa news conference today as “Joe Where?”

The 75-year-old has been all but absent from the Conservative party’s campaign messaging four weeks into the lengthy campaign — despite running for re-election in a downtown Toronto riding.

In-Depth: Federal Election 2015

He cancelled scheduled talks at two Toronto clubs last week and this week without explanation.

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His office did not immediately respond to an interview request from The Canadian Press again today after Statistics Canada reported the economy had two consecutive quarters of negative growth, the technical definition of a recession.

READ MORE: Harper tries to put a positive spin on negative growth

NDP candidate Andrew Thomson, a former NDP finance minister in Saskatchewan who’s running against Oliver, says it’s interesting that the finance minister is missing on the file.

Thomson told an Ottawa news conference the NDP is starting to worry about him while Toronto M-P Peggy Nash chimed in “Joe Where?”