Realizing just how radioactive the education funding issue has become for the people on his own ticket, John Tory is now saying if he's elected Premier of Ontario next year he'll allow a free vote on the question of if non-Catholic "faith-based" schools should get funds on an equal level to the public and Catholic systems. He'll also have a commission to look into the issue, hosted by none other than former Premier Bill Davis (oddly enough, the guy who refused to have equal funding for Catholic schools during the 1960s, yet as Premier went ahead with it in his final year).
He may think he's taken the issue off the table -- after all, if enough Conservatives express their opposition to the measure, he may just take the bill off the table and never have a vote at all.
But this flip-flop (just last Wednesday, he said there would be no free vote) is going to anger the social conservative base; who may decide to either stay at home or throw their vote to even more right-wing fringe parties.
Almost makes me wish we had the system they have in the NWT. Their election is today, and there are no parties and a consensus style of government.
It also raises more questions about his ability to govern. If he goes against his own platform in the final ten days of the hustings, what does that say about what he'll do if he comes from behind and wins? I'm still unhappy with McGuinty breaking some promises after he was elected, but this may be the first time I remember in Ontario that someone broke his or her word during the campaign. Running the CFL and running Ontario are two completely different things.
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3 comments:
He was losing the election, so according to CTV, would not have much choice to change his tune. How stupid are people (do no ask, they put Harper in)
This is getting to be so sad, it is almost funny.
his so-con base don't care as much as you think - their schools wouldn't qualify because they don't want to teach the Ontario curriculum anyway. They are either homeschoolers or go to schools that teach "gays are bad, m'kay?"
If he were clever he'd ask McGuinty to give the same commitment to free vote so that Monte Kwinter could vote with his conscience...
Fact Check: Tory announced the appointment of Davis and a Commission to advise on best practices to implement expanded faith-based funding on July 23.
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