The Liberals are continuing to question how the Progressive Conservative Party accepted a $3,870 political donation from New Brunswick’s largest health authority.

The Tories announced on Monday that the party would return the health authority’s cash. The money paid for a table at a Saint John event billed as "an evening with Premier David Alward.”

The health authority said on Monday that officials didn't realize the money was going to Alward's political party.

'Why did it happen in the first place? And would they have offered to return the money if it hadn't been in a story in the news?'— Liberal MLA Bill Fraser

But Liberal MLA Bill Fraser, the opposition’s health critic, said there are still unanswered questions about how the health authority donated to the governing Tories and why it took until now to have the money reimbursed.

“Why did it happen in the first place? And would they have offered to return the money if it hadn't been in a story in the news? You know, Horizon's under stress and under direct orders from the minister of health and the government to cut programs and services,” Fraser said.

“Yet it's OK for them to spend $5,000 for a fundraiser for David Alward and the PC Party.”

Horizon bought the tickets from the money it generates from board generated revenue, such as parking fees or cafeterial profits. The board generated revenue is separate from what it receives from the provincial government to deliver health care services.

Fraser said the board-generated revenue should still pay for health care.

In fact, when parking fees were brought in last year at Fraser's local hospital in Miramichi, Horizon said some of the money would pay for special patient care programs and medical equipment.

"We were told by Horizon, these initiatives that we put in place, any profits that are taken from these parking places, will be put directly back into health-care dollars and health-care services," he said.

Horizon refused to comment on the refund on Monday, other than to repeat that it didn't know last year's event was a partisan fundraiser.

Health Minister Madeleine Dubé also sidestepped questions about the political donation.

"I manage health care. Parking lots is another issue,” Dubé said.

Political financing reports show the health authority gave $3,870 to the PC Party in the first half of 2011.

Parking lot users unhappy

However, people paying for parking at one of the health authority’s hospitals were not happy to hear that their fees were used to purchase tickets to expensive political dinners.

David Lounsbury is a new dad who says the maternity ward could use the money.

"Wards with four mothers in it, instead of having private rooms like hospitals in the rest of the province have, I think that would be a good upgrade,” Lounsbury said.

Horizon uses parking revenue to buy tickets for, and to support, charitable community events.

This is not the first time a provincial agency has been questioned about its donations.

In 2006, then premier Bernard Lord ordered NB Power and all other Crown corporations to halt future donations.

The order came after NB Power donated $400,000 to a fundraising campaign at the University of New Brunswick.