Conservative MP John Baird's involvement with Ottawa's cancelled light rail project was on the agenda at a House of Commons government operations committee meeting Tuesday.
MPs from different party lines were split on whether or not the Ottawa area MP and Environment Minister intervened in municipal politics when he held back federal funding for light rail transit in the midst of Ottawa's 2006 municipal election.
"I think what we're left to wonder is did he intervene to influence the outcome of a municipal election and it seems to be the only logical solution," said Mark Holland, Liberal MP for Pickering-Ajax.
"There seems to be a number of things here that lead one to be deeply concerned about the role the minister tried to play in the last 2006 election," said Holland.
The Liberal MP's sentiments, however, aren't shared by all politicians.
"The people of Ottawa have a minister who's doing his job and the Liberals are trying to attack him and smear him in some way that's falling flat in its face," said Tory MP James Moore.
Baird reviewed Ottawa's light rail contract in October 2006 and said it provided a cancellation deadline in December.
Baird, who was then president of the Treasury Board, said the soon to be elected city council should be able to vote on the decision.
"I'm one of the few people in this town who's actually done his homework, who's actually read the contract," Baird told CTV News.
"I think before you sign on to a billion dollar project you have an important responsibility to do your homework. We did it," he said.
Ottawa City Manager Kent Kirkpatrick said he was surprised by Baird's move.
"In the end, the condition the Treasury Board put on the contribution agreement was not something that had been anticipated and as we indicated at the time felt was unprecedented," said Kirkpatrick.
Whether or not there will be further committee hearings into the issue is yet to be determined.
With a report from CTV's Norman Fetterley
