'I take responsibility for all decisions in my department,' Industry Minister Tony Clement told the parliamentary committee. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)Popular events in Montreal and Toronto that lost out on federal funding this year have Industry Minister Tony Clement to thank for the lack of cash in their coffers.

Clement himself chose which events would receive financing under the Conservative's controversial marquee tourism events program.

The government was heavily criticized by the Opposition and event organizers when the funding announcement was made in mid-May.

Festivals such as Les FrancoFolies de Montreal were refused $1.5 million of expected federal funding for 2010. The announcement came about a month before the event was to be held.

To help offset costs, organizers are asking festival goers to make a donation.

Montreal's High Lights Festival was also not granted funding while Toronto's Gay Pride festival has to do without $600,000 this year, after getting $400,000 in 2009.

During a parliamentary committee on Thursday, Richard Dicerni, deputy minister of Industry Canada, said Clement had final say on which projects would be funded.

Clement, for his part, didn't deny that as he left the House of Commons.

A total of 88 projects were presented and that number was cut down to 47.

"I take responsibility for all decisions in my department," Clement said.

He said civil servants make recommendations, and then decisions are made to ensure funding is distributed across the country.

But Clement did not specify what criteria the final decisions were based on.

Opposition MPs on the heritage committee criticized the decision to give Clement a blank cheque.

"We found out that the minister had carte blanche on nearly $100 million of public funds and he didn't have to justify his decisions regarding these funds," said Liberal MP Pablo Rodriguez.

"That is very worrisome."

The marquee tourism events program was introduced during the 2009 budget as part of the economic stimulus package, designed to provide limited funding to events across the country.

The $100 million in spending was spread over two years. But Dicerni testified before committee that the program proved too popular, they were overwhelmed with requests and Clement had to make tough decisions.

Last year, $47.5 million was doled out for 60 projects in 26 cities. In 2010, 47 events were financed in 35 cities for $39.2 million.

So about $12 million wasn't spent and about $13 million was sent to the Canadian Tourism Commission, a move that was denounced by Bloc Québécois heritage critic Carole Lavallée as "unjust."

"They had the money to help Montreal High Lights Festival, they had the money to help the FrancoFolies, but they sent money to the commission for nebulous reasons that aren't clear," Lavallée said.

"And the commission wasn't even eligible for the program."