Federal Stimulus Money Questions

Kenora MP Greg Rickford is offering no apologizes for the amount of infrastructure stimulus funding his riding received.

A federal Liberal study of the federal stimulus program across the province concludes the spending heavily favoured Tory ridings, putting the Conservative-held Kenora riding at the top.

But Rickford says the Liberals' report does take into account the size of his riding.

"In my riding alone I have 42 first nations communities and 8 municipalities," says Rickford. "The Liberals presentation of the facts weren't only skewed and grossly distorted but they were patentedly false and used in an improper manner."

The Liberals says more than $33-million were distributed to 65 projects to the Kenora riding.

The Liberal study also identifies the riding of Thunder Bay-Rainy River receiving over $25-million for 56 projects - fourth highest in northern Ontario.

MP John Rafferty, who welcomes that funding, says questions should be raised about the money that wasn't approved.

"That's the million dollar question so to speak," says Rafferty, "because for every project that wasn't approved in northern Ontario does that mean projects were approved in Conservative-held ridings. That's what we're trying to get answered to right now"

Rafferty says many of the local projects rejected were asking for only a few thousand dollars.