Rob Moore refuses to commit to funding Moncton sports centre

Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Minister Rob Moore isn't making any promises when it comes to federal funding for Moncton's proposed $107-million downtown sports and entertainment centre.

Moore says each infrastructure funding requestsubmitted to the federal government is assessed on an individual basis.

"We look forward to working with the city and with the province on their priorities, but to be quite clear,everything, every project that we fund, is evaluated on its own merits and has to be allowed to stand alone on its own merits," he said.

Moore says the city has put forward a number of different infrastructure projects.

He made the comments on Monday while in Miramichi to announcefederal funding to rehabilitate the Centennial Bridge.

Last week, MonctonMayor George LeBlanctried to provide some clarification in the ongoing debate over funding for the proposed $107-million sports and entertainment complex by issuing a statement.

He said the city does not intend to divert federal infrastructure money to buildingthe centre on the former Highfield Square property.

The infrastructure projects the city hasapplied to the federal government for are related to storm sewers, buses and upgrades to ElmwoodDrive.

"If approved, these projects will free up the city's financial capacity to partially fund the downtown centre," LeBlanc said.

Local MP has promised funds

Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe ConservativeMPRobertGoguenhad previouslysuggested that the funding of infrastructure projects amounts to federal financial support for the downtown project.

Goguen had said$23.5 million in federal funding for the downtown centre is a certainty ifthe provincial governmentagrees to pay a similar amount.

The Tory MP said that Moore and Prime Minister Stephen Harper were both "on board" with helping the downtown sports centre through a plan of indirect financing.

"Listen, I speak to both of them regularly and they are on board," he said on April 29.

When federal Finance Minister Joe Oliver was in New Brunswick last week, he also said he wasn't aware of any federal commitments for the downtown centre.

"I haven't heard that. I'm not aware of each individual project, for one thing, it is not in my portfolio," Oliver said on May 7.

"I'm sure that if we are dealing with top projects then they will get the funding that they merit. We care very much about every region in the country and that is why I'm here and my colleagues are visiting as well."

Premier Brian Gallant has said his provincial government is studying the project to see if it will contribute roughly $24 million.

The city and the Monctonbusiness community have been trying to ratchet up the pressure on the provincial government to commit funding to the project.