Robbie Henderson said questions about tourism spending would be answered in his next budget report. (CBC)

Tourism Critic James Aylward grilled Tourism Minister Robbie Henderson over irregularities found in an Auditor General's report released Friday.

Both the Opposition and Aylward have been critical of Tourism P.E.I. and what they call the mismanagement of $8.4 million in untendered tourism contracts.

Auditor General Colin Younker said in a report released Friday, there were several irregularities in the way contracts were awarded in the Tourism department.

"I have an Auditor General’s report that has red flags raised over the potential misappropriation of $8.4 million worth of tax payer’s money," Aylward said.

Aylward tried to find out to whom the contracts were given, and for what – but he was stonewalled by Tourism Minister Robbie Henderson.

"I was elected by taxpayers of the Island to ask questions and hold government accountable," Aylward said, "And it's really frustrating when you're asking questions to try to safeguard their tax dollars and you just can't seem to get the answers."

In Question Period Friday, Henderson said he had no problem discussing the details of the contracts handed out by his department but not until he tables his budget estimates.

"I would be more than happy to go to the public accounts committee and answer some of those questions at that time," Henderson said.

"The Auditor General’s report did not specify the name of a company or the name of an individual in some of these contracts. So, if the Auditor General isn’t going to divulge those names at this point in time, I’m not either for this legislature… but I will. When I’m doing my budget estimates, we can review any of those specific contracts."