High profile Ontario Conservative Randy Hillier has built his political career as an outsider fighting against big government, but that may extend beyond policy.

CTV has obtained public documents showing that Hillier and his wife are in a long-running dispute with Canada Revenue Agency over unpaid taxes. The government has placed two liens on his home.

Hillier, who is seeking re-election in Lanark, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington, is a politician who is never boring and always blunt.

He staged a two-day sit-in at the provincial legislature in December 2009 over the lack of public hearings on the HST.

Documents from the provincial land registry, which are available to the public, show the government placed two liens on property owned by Hillier and his wife more than a year ago.

One of the liens is $9,017. The other is $5,863.

CTV contacted the Conservative campaign office, who confirmed with Hillier that the debt is still outstanding. Hillier issued this statement late Thursday afternoon:

"A few years after the sale of some property owned by my wife, a dispute arose with the Canada Revenue Agency on the amount of tax related to the sale.

"There is still an outstanding amount owing by my wife. My wife has engaged with CRA and working to reach a settlement and expects this matter to be resolved very soon."

He adds: "Many thousands of Canadians have disagreements very similar to this with the CRA. I find it unfortunate and disappointing that my political opponents would go to such extraordinary lengths to try to harm me publicly by attacking my wife's personal and private matters."

Hillier and his wife, who are still married, are both named on the property the government is going after to recover the tax payment.

The Conservative team has built their campaign on an anti-tax agenda -- trying to brand Premier Dalton McGuinty and the Liberals as pro-tax.

Hudak's campaign team was unaware of the debt owed by the Hilliers until they were contacted by CTV News earlier this week.

With a report from CTV Ottawa's Graham Richardson