Tim Hudak says Ontario's Health Minister has some explaining to do.

The Progressive Conservative Leader has written to Deb Matthews, asking her to reveal the criteria used to cancel the planned rebuild of West Lincoln Memorial Hospital.

The project in Hudak's Niagara West-Glanbrook riding was scrapped in the recent provincial budget as a cost-cutting measure.

In his letter to Matthews, Hudak demands to know why the Grimsby build was canned along with 4 other hospital projects in PC ridings, as plans for a $1.2-billion hospital in the Finance Minister's riding is going ahead.

Earlier this week, the Health Minister said the West Lincoln Memorial project isn't in the government's 5-year plan, but that they're ready to go ahead with it when the province's cash flow is better.

Going forward, Hudak writes that decisions around hospital builds should be made based on merit, not how locals voted.

Hudak suggests the government consider these factors:

-The impact of the project of local health care
-Community support for the project
-Whether hospital staff are being held back by quality or lack thereof at the current facility

RELATED STORIES:

Health Minister: Grimsby hospital build not in 5-year plan

Health Minister on Grimsby hospital build: just not right now