The Trudeau government has announced that dozens of small craft harbours in Atlantic Canada and Quebec will be repaired in the coming year, setting the stage to pressure political rivals to support the federal budget.

Nova Scotia Liberal MP Mike Kelloway promised more repair work is to come, thanks to $463.3 million set aside for small craft harbours over the next three years.

With the Conservatives ahead in the polls, the planned repairs are a way of putting them (and the Bloc Québécois) on the …