TORONTO — A Canadian Cabinet member who once called herself the "minister of hopes and dreams" resigned yesterday amid allegations she promised a pizzeria owner asylum in exchange for free pizza.

Immigration Minister Judy Sgro denied the charges, calling them "ridiculously false," but said she had to quit her post "to be able to defend myself vigorously."

Sgro already was contending with allegations that a Romanian stripper was fast-tracked for Canadian immigration after she and family members volunteered to work on Sgro's election campaign.

Sgro, 60, insisted the comments made in a federal affidavit by Harjit Singh, who is from India, were lies made in an attempt to prevent his deportation.

"Judy said she wanted me to deliver pizza, garlic bread, etc. to her campaign office ... I did this. She also said that she needed 15-16 people to help work in her campaign. I organized this for her, as well," he said in the affidavit.

Singh, a father of three who came to Canada in 1988, was slated to be deported next week on charges of forgery and perjury.

Sgro insisted that she'd never spoken to Singh.

The quote from Singh's affidavit was reported by Reuters.