Refuting allegations she received political favours, a Romanian stripper says she never struck a deal to extend her residence permit in exchange for volunteer work on the election campaign of Immigration Minister Judy Sgro.

Alina Balaican, 25, has sent a letter to media outlets denying any wrongdoing.

"I feel bad for Mrs. Sgro, whose integrity is being attacked simply for being a good, kind person,'' Balaican wrote.

"It is my understanding that if no one stepped in to rectify my situation, I would have been sent back to Romania and separated from my husband... for a period of up to two years."

According to Balaican, when her temporary residence permit expired -- thanks to an "incompetent" immigration consultant who forgot to file the renewal application -- she and her Canadian husband, Howard Mulholland, decided to approach their MP.

They first took the case to their former MP, Allan Rock, but his new appointment to the UN prevented him from helping out. So, the couple took their files to Sgro's office.

Once there, they handed their paperwork over to members of Sgro's staff.

"Let's be very clear about this: neither myself, nor my husband, have ever spoken with Mrs. Judy Sgro,'' the letter said.

"There was absolutely no commitment made to us by Mrs. Sgro's staff. They said they would review my case on its merits."

Citing humanitarian and compassionate grounds, Sgro granted the exotic dancer a temporary resident permit that allows her to remain in Canada under her husband's sponsorship.

In recent weeks, opposition MPs have seized on the fact Balaican volunteered in Sgro's York West riding campaign office as a sign she was afforded special treatment.

Sgro has denied any wrongdoing, and referred the case to ethics commissioner Bernard Shapiro.

Appearing before a Parliamentary committee on Tuesday, Sgro said she stands behind her actions.

"I take huge pride in my integrity and my honesty and in my government,'' she said.

"I have been 15 years in political life and I can assure you that I can stand next to anyone you can mention when it comes to honesty, integrity, and respecting the rules that are there.''

Balaican was one of more than 550 Romanian women granted temporary work visas under a program designed to allow foreign women into the country to work as exotic dancers.

"I have concerns with the exotic-dancer category. I always have," Sgro told reporters outside the committee hearing on Tuesday. "I would like to see that program not there. It is an issue I have been concerned about for some time," she added, noting that the decision is not for her alone to make.

For her part, Balaican also denied there was a political tit-for-tat.

"We volunteered because Howard and I like the energy and the people. Ms. Sgro's people are kind and compassionate. They represent the best things about Canadians," she wrote. "They have only attempted to correct a wrong caused by an incompetent immigration consultant."

Opposition MPs have filed a complaint for a formal ethics investigation of alleged breaches of federal conflict-of-interest rules, as well as other alleged irregularities in her office.