The Liberals are accusing the provincial government of a "flip-flop" on public funding for private education.

The announcement last week of a tax credit for private school tuition surprised many people.

But the Premier and the Minister of Education had been on record as supporting the public education system, according to the deputy Liberal leader.

On Thursday, Sandra Pupatello released a letter Premier Harris wrote to her leader in January of last year.

In the letter, Mike Harris said that funding religious schools would fragment and weaken public education, and could cost as much as $700 million a year.

"They are now clearly on record with the Premier's own threat that $700 million would come from the public education system and that would fragment it," said Pupatello.

Pupatello also said something very strange happened to the Premier since then, and wanted to know why, in her words, the "flip-flop."

Education Minister Janet Ecker said the government changed its position after hearing from people.

She said, "In pre-budget consultations, this was a position that was put forward."

But Pupatello wants to know who put the recommendations forward.

She said she sat on the Finance Committee during the pre-budget hearings, and no-one raised the issue of public support for religious schools.