Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory tried to assuage embittered party faithful and win back Ontario voters Monday as he promised caucus members a free vote on his controversial proposal to extend public funding to the province's private religious schools.
Tory, whose unpopular plan to bring religious schools into the public-funding fold has been weighing down his campaign efforts, made the concession amid much fanfare and sustained applause in a speech to business leaders in Toronto.
"[Members] will be allowed a free vote, so they are at liberty to vote their conscience and represent the wishes of their constituents," he said as the audience broke into applause.
"In this significant way, the public can be more involved in the decision-making. They have expressed strong concerns, and I have heard them."
Tory described a televised campaign-trail encounter last week with a disgruntled voter in Sarnia, Ont. — who complained that he had failed to address public concerns about the proposal — as the moment when he realized it was time to rethink the proposal.
"That exchange that night, televised across the province, convinced me that something I had genuinely, honestly put forward in a spirit of inclusion and fairness had in fact become too much a source of division," he said.
"Merely proceeding as we were … would not achieve our aims of inclusion and fairness."
Tory — clearly worried about the optics of such a significant amendment to a policy he has staunchly defended — attempted to assure voters they should see the move not as a flip-flop or a sign of indecisiveness, but rather as an indication of his leadership qualities.
"On this issue, I have been open and honest about my views, and the motivation behind them," he said.
"I have been clear today, before the election, that there will be a free vote and I have declared my own position in the matter; and I have always had the same position in public as I have had in private."
Changing course
Turning around the contentious issue at this stage in the campaign is "an extremely difficult thing for a political leader to do with nine days left in a campaign," said York University political science professor James Laxer.
"It seems to be kind of running under fire, that you're caving in to public opinion polls and the attacks of your opponents," Laxer said. "There's no question about it: it makes him seem to be a wavering leader under pressure, and people aren't going to be impressed by that."
Laxer said he can't recall a provincial or federal campaign where a party leader has "done this kind of major shift" this close to the vote.
"This deep-sixes the idea of public funding for faith-based schools."
Party sources, who insist their leader is not backing away from the plan, said Tory hosted a conference call earlier Monday with candidates and caucus members, many of whom have complained about how much voters hate the idea.
Two candidates — Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound member Bill Murdoch and Hamilton East-Stoney Creek hopeful Tara Crugnale — had already said they wouldn't support the proposal in a legislative vote.
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District Profiles
More Ontario Votes Headlines »
- McGuinty wins massive majority, Tory loses seat
- Dalton McGuinty won a second majority government for the Liberals in Ontario on Wednesday night, a triumph for a party that earlier expressed fears of a drop to minority status.
- Ontario rejects electoral reform in referendum
- Ontario voters have rejected a proposed electoral reform that would have seen some provincial legislators chosen based on a party's share of the popular vote, results showed Thursday.
- Ontario voter turnout a record low
- The percentage of eligible voters casting ballots in Wednesday's Ontario election hit an all-time low despite changes introduced in an effort to boost turnout.
- Ont. Green party scores 8 per cent of vote
- No Green party candidates made it to the Ontario legislature in Wednesday's election, but that defeat was sweetened by a swell in their share of the popular vote, which more than doubled.
- McGuinty only leader not facing leadership questions
- Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty won re-election in Ottawa South and NDP Leader Howard Hampton again won his northern Ontario riding of Kenora-Rainy River. PC Leader John Tory was defeated.
