ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - The spectre of a hidden social conservative agenda forced the Harper government's tightly-scripted election campaign into damage control mode Thursday in an attempt to keep the divisive abortion issue off the table.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's chief spokesman summoned reporters to the lobby of a Newfoundland hotel early Thursday to offer unsolicited comment about a Toronto Star and Le Devoir story about a Saskatchewan MP that apparently went badly off message.

Spokesman Dimitri Soudas's impromptu scrum at 12:30 a.m. was sparked by reports that quoted a Conservative Saskatchewan backbencher bragging in a weekend speech that International Planned Parenthood Federation had its funding blocked because it supported abortion.

Candidate Brad Trost reportedly told a pro-life meeting in Saskatchewan that the efforts of the movement had likely denied the organization funding after decades of receiving it.

A recording of Trost's remarks was obtained by the Liberals and given to the media.

The story broke as Harper's campaign plane was lifting off from Fredericton, N.B. for St. John's, Nfld. and was due to arrive close to midnight Wednesday. Harper takes only four questions a day from the travelling media.

But Harper's campaign team sent an email to travelling journalists after arriving at their hotel, saying that Soudas wanted to address the story "ASAP."

Soudas read from his smart phone reiterating the basic talking points of the government's signature G8 "Muskoka Initiative" on child and maternal health.

"I gather from media reports one of our members of parliament has stated something to the contrary, but we have clearly laid out what our G8 initiative will focus on. Organizations like International Planned Parenthood or others that are willing to work with our government, we look forward to working with them as well on this important initiative," he said.

Soudas refused to say whether Planned Parenthood would receive its funding. The group has been waiting for more than a year and assumes it has been cut off -- similar to the fate of other non-governmental organizations that have fallen out of favour with the Harper government.

"I can't comment on specific applications," Soudas said, but added the government would work with "organizations like International Planned Parenthood that will focus its energy and efforts on the criteria that we have laid out."

Asked repeatedly whether allowing access to abortion was part of the government's funding criteria, Soudas replied: "No, it does not."

Soudas also repeated the Harper government's often stated position that it would not re-open the debate on abortion.

But the issue is now back on the front burner of this election campaign, just 11 days before Canadians go to the polls.

The Tories have run the same tight, orchestrated campaign that delivered Harper to power in 2006.

But they are clearly moving to avoid a repeat of the 2004 election campaign gaffe that saw backbencher Cheryl Gallant compare abortion to the beheading of hostages in Iraq, spoiling Harper's first attempt to win power, and giving the Liberals a minority government.

Asked why he was so eager to comment on the Trost story, so late at night, Soudas replied: "It just shows that this campaign is on top of every single issue."

Soudas refused to say whether Trost would be punished in any way for straying off message.

He said he didn't know where Trost got his information.

"This member of parliament is a backbencher. The government lays out policies."

Harper will answer questions from reporters early Thursday in St. John's before flying to a rally in Sydney, N.S. and returning to Ottawa late in the day.