TORONTO - Ontario is waging a fresh attack on Ottawa as several provincial cabinet ministers accused the federal government Wednesday of withholding crucial funding for infrastructure projects and new police officers.

In the latest salvo in the bitter feud between the two levels of government, Community Safety Minister Rick Bartolucci said Ottawa is dramatically shortchanging the province on new police officers while Public Infrastructure Renewal Minister David Caplan accused the federal Tories of playing politics with transit and border projects.

Ontario submitted its final request for funding under the Build Canada federal program a month ago but Ottawa isn't returning phone calls, Caplan said. Meanwhile, projects aimed at improving the flow of traffic at the border and building new public transit hang in the balance, he said.

"Seemingly the Harper government is more intent on playing political games than they are in serving the public interest,'' Caplan said before a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

"Our calls have gone unreturned. So it's a little bit odd that they wouldn't have a greater sense of urgency to get this done so we can get the investment going and serve the people of Ontario.''

Ontario is not getting its fair share, Caplan added. While the province has 40 per cent of the country's population, it is only getting 30 per cent of the federal funding, he said.

"We hope the federal government will do the right thing,'' Caplan said. "It appears, from what the federal government has shown us, that their priority is putting up signs . . . as opposed to getting shovels in the ground.''

Bartolucci accused Ottawa of shortchanging Ontario on funding for 2,500 new police officers promised in the recent budget. Ontario had asked for a share of 1,000 new officers out of that funding but bureaucrats say the province will likely only get enough money for 500.

Any new police officers will only be funded for five years, which makes long-term hiring and planning almost impossible, Bartolucci added.

"I'm really, really concerned,'' said Bartolucci, who met with his federal counterpart Stockwell Day earlier this week.

"I think it's a missed opportunity on the part of the federal government to show that they are truly committed to putting 2,500 officers on the streets of Canada. That missed opportunity is one that they have time to rectify.''

The Ontario Liberals and federal Conservatives have been trading personal insults and barbs recently in an escalating war of words over how to handle the province's economy.

While one Ontario cabinet minister called federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty a "cartoon character,'' Flaherty said Ontario's high business taxes make it the "last place in Canada'' to start up a new business.