Nathan Cullen finally gets it.

The main reason we send an MP to Ottawa is to fight for our piece of the federal pie.

In a four-page campaign handout in newspapers throughout northwest B.C., the front page feature story heralded Nathan for delivering results.

In a second article, entitled “Show me the Money!” , a laundry list of federally-funded projects totalling $82.4 million for the area is highlighted.

At first blush, this is indeed an impressive number, which Cullen and the NDP are saying is a tribute to his representation in the hallowed halls of Ottawa over the past four years.

Local examples used were: Smithers airport expansion - $412,000; Beetle money for Northwest Community College in Smithers, the B.C. Conservation Foundation and Smithers Library - $531,000; federal support for The Meadows in Smithers - $575,000; Capital grant for Hazelton’s Skeena Place - $300,000; and regional Seniors programming - $119,000.

However, much of the massive $82.4 million headline is eaten up by just three projects: the Prince Rupert Container Port at $30 million; Great Bear Rainforest - $30 million and the South Moresby Forest Replacement Account - $12 million.

The thing is, the cheques were not signed by Jack Layton.

If anyone thinks that the Prince Rupert container port or the Great Bear Rainforest cheques came about as a direct result of Nathan Cullen, they might want to take off their NDP-orange-coloured glasses.

As well, many of the Smithers federal cheques didn’t come around until the controversial, and much-maligned appointment of Sharon Smith as government liaison.

There are very clear and direct statistics that dictate federal funding. Rightly, or wrongly, whether its been a Conservative government or Liberal, majority or minority, a riding receives federal funds in direct proportion to where in the House of Commons their MP sits.

A study conducted by the University of Toronto, found that ridings held by governing bodies receive the most, followed by the official opposition and so on down the food chain.

While the study quantifies right down to the penny the asymmetrical difference in per capita federal spending, only an ignorant idealist would not understand the rationale behind how every federal government doles out the money.

Given this way of the world, what is extraordinary then is the amount of money that the federal Conservatives have sent to the Northwest.

Let’s give Nathan his due, he has been a squeaky wheel demanding grease. But ultimately, it has been, at least for the past two-and-a-half years, the Conservatives holding the oil can.

So while Cullen and the NDP are lauding the $82, 416, 251 in Skeena-Bulkley Valley federal funding, albeit a very minute fraction of that in Smithers and environs, we have to ask two questions:

If the Conservatives have spent $82.4 million with an NDP representative, how much more would they spend here if it was their riding?

And second, how likely is it that Jack Layton will be controlling the country’s purse strings on Oct. 15?

Say whatever you will about the abilities of the candidates or who the best politician is, Nathan Cullen has it right.

The only thing voters should be saying when they mark their X on Tuesday is what Nathan said.

Show me the money!