OTTAWA — The federal Conservatives are hitting back at the premier of Newfoundland with radio and newspaper ads, The Canadian Press has learned.

The feds will respond to Danny Williams -- who ran ads of his own last week accusing them of breaking a promise to his province with the recent federal budget.

The ads will begin running Tuesday, according to an internal government memo.

The memo includes talking points for Tory MPs when speaking about the federal-provincial imbroglio, including: Ottawa never broke its promise, Newfoundland gets more money under the budget, and Danny Williams just wants a special deal which would be unfair to other provinces.

The budget has angered Newfoundland and Nova Scotia because it says they can only access a newer, more generous equalization program if they give up the Atlantic Accord.

That accord, signed with the previous Liberal government, excluded offshore oil revenues from equalization calculations.