MONTREAL - An embattled Quebec City-area Conservative MP is defending Ottawa's decision not to help fund the city's new arena project.
Josee Verner said in an open letter Saturday that the federal government had to act responsibly and not be swayed by the emotional debate over the proposed rink.
The Conservatives said this week that they couldn't fund the project without more private-sector involvement and the government had "decided against" creating a sports facility funding program.
Quebec City Mayor Regis Labeaume told a radio station that the Tories' lacklustre support of the project was "political suicide" as most of the Tories' 11 Quebec seats are around his city.
Construction on the $400 million arena is expected to last until 2015, but the NHL has offered no guarantees the new facility will bring a team to Quebec City.
Verner repeated comments from earlier in the week that there was serious lack of private-sector funding for construction of the building and the government didn't have a program to fund facilities designed primarily for professional sports.
But Verner says the federal government is proud to invest in other Quebec City projects and that she's happy the arena project is going forward.
The short open letter was published in a number of newspapers and on Verner's website Saturday morning.
A spokeswoman for Verner says she wouldn't be granting interviews Saturday.
