OTTAWA — The Trudeau government fended off accusations again Friday that it showed favouritism towards Liberal Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne when it picked up the tab for a public relations contract to support her mission to the Middle East last spring. The Huffington Post Quebec revealed earlier this week that Ottawa had signed a contract worth $23,399.87 with the Israeli firm Ben Horin & Alexandrovitz for the “preparation, implementation and monitoring” of Wynne’s trip to Israel last May.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomes Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne to the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa on Nov. 23, 2015. (Photo: Sean Kilpatrick/CP) The Conservatives suggested Thursday that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his good buddy Wynne were cosying up again and Canadian taxpayers were unjustifiably footing the bill for the federal Liberals’ close ties to their provincial cousins. Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion responded that “the amount of money [in question]... is an amount of money that was available to anyone.” On Friday, Ontario Tory Karen Vecchio was incredulous. “Seriously, anyone can get a free $23,000 PR guy funded by the Liberals? No wonder they have no hope of balancing this budget,” she lashed back during question period. "Why will the minister not simply admit that Kathleen Wynne got the money because she is a Liberal?" “Why will the minister not simply admit that Kathleen Wynne got the money because she is a Liberal?” Dion responded that every province, regardless of government partisan stripe, could have made a request for federal help accessing foreign commercial markets. “Other provinces have benefited from the same service,” he said. The Ontario trip resulted in 44 signed commercial agreements worth $118 million and 200 jobs in Ontario, he added. “Is the member opposite suggesting we weaken ties with Israel?” Dion said.