“I haven’t heard that has been happening,” said Hamilton East-Stoney Creek NDP MP Wayne Marston. “The last infrastructure announcement, (my riding) did fine.”

Hamilton Mountain NDP MP Chris Charlton, who acknowledged she is always ready to blast the Conservative government for any wrongdoing, gives federal politicians a pass as they keep doling out money to Hamilton.

“You know I am as partisan as anybody, but we have been getting a fair shake,” she said.

Last week, Conservative MPs Dean Allison and David Sweet stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Liberal MPP Sophia Aggelonitis as $2 million in funding was announced for Marydale Park in Glanbrook, $10.5 million recreation infrastructure monies for Flamborough, Ancaster and parts of the Mountain, and $7.1 million for affordable housing projects in the city.

“The reality is there has been funding in a lot of other places as well,” said Mr. Allison, Conservative MP for Niagara West-Glanbrook, defending the federal government’s funding allocation.

Mr. Allison was announcing June 30 $1 million from the federal government for constructing Ontario’s first barrier-free park called Camp Marydale. The proposed park is in Mr. Allison’s riding.

Mr. Allison dismissed any notion the federal government is preferring projects in Conservative ridings. He said when the federal government announces a project, there has to be a buy-in from the Ontario Liberal government as well since it also has to contribute money to the project.

“The province signs off on these projects and I’m sure there has been a lot of Liberal lobbying going on,” said Mr. Allison. “There is a lot of horse trading.”

Mr. Sweet joined Ms. Aggelonitis at the Flamborough YMCA July 2 for their respective governments’ recreation infrastructure announcement and demonstrated how chummy they had become as they complimented each other on how well their “partnership” was benefitting the community. Mr. Sweet was blunt in eliminating any criticism about potential political favouritism, saying later in an interview Conservative ridings are not the only areas getting money from the federal government.

“That’s erroneous,” he said.

He pointed out Hamilton’s $122 million infrastructure package announced last month included the expansion of the Stoney Creek Recreation Centre in Mr. Marston’s area, and the Sir Allan Mac- Nab and Westmount recreation centres in Ms. Charlton’s area. The largest chunk of stimulus money — $42 million — was for upgrading the wastewater treatment plant, which will benefit the entire city.

“Do the math, the money didn’t just benefit my riding,” said Mr. Sweet.

Ms. Aggelonitis, who joined Mr. Allison at the announcement for the Marydale Park funding at the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, focused more on the project rather than an issue of favouritism.

“This is not about politics,” she said. “This is about the kids. It’s a pretty incredible project. This is about doing the right thing.”

A few months ago Liberal MP Gerard Kennedy, the party’s infrastructure critic, skewered the Conservatives for targeting government stimulus funding mainly to Conservative ridings. He said, for instance, since 2007, $1 billion from the Build Canada fund went to 21 out of a possible 27 projects in Conservative ridings.

Ms. Charlton and Mr. Marston agreed that some of the funding, particularly the New Horizons for Seniors Program grants, which were announced earlier this year, were tar-getting Conservative ridings.

“I may have some problems about which projects are selected, and the scheduling of the grants, but there were some projects funded in my area too,” she said.

Ms. Charlton has focussed on the short March 31, 2011, time frame for the projects to be completed.

“It’s a very ambitious schedule, especially with our short construction season,” she said.

Recently, the federal government announced funding for Redeemer University College and McMaster University, which are located in Mr. Sweet’s riding. Mohawk College, though, received no federal money, provoking a backlash from Mountain Councillor Terry Whitehead. He publicly suggested the college should complain to the federal government for the snub. Mohawk College did receive some provincial cash for upgrades.

About $600,000 in recreation infrastructure funding also went to Redeemer College to rebuild a soccer field, while another $390,000 went to Fifty Point Conservation Area for a campground in Mr. Allison’s riding. In total, about $2.8 million of the recreation funding went to Mr. Sweet’s riding. But Inch Park received $2.4 million to improve its arena and pool, and Turner Sports Field received $1.1 million for lighting and washrooms. Both recreation facilities are in Ms. Charlton’s riding.

As for the affordable housing money, $560,000 was allocated to a seven-unit development in Waterdown, while $880,000 was slotted for some units at West Avenue north in NDP MP David Christopherson’s Hamilton Centre riding. But the biggest project was $5.67 million for a 63-unit project on Stone Church Road East. Still, on June 29, St. Catharines received $2 million for a new sports park, and another $614,000 for upgrades to the local YMCA. The riding is held by Conservative MP Rick Dysktra.