Tory Flip-Flops on Religious Education

According to The London Free Press John Tory is expected to announce today that if he forms government he will have a free vote in the legislature to determine the fate of his faith-based education initiative. Technically this is not a flip-flop since he is still supporting it, and it could be argued that he is just encouraging proper democratic procedure. Since I am not a fan of the forced vote practice one would think I would applaud Tory on this, but the fact is I see it for the blatant parlor trick that it is.

What Tory is doing is admitting that the public has not been overly fond of his faith based school policy plans, so he is killing it without ever officially changing his stance. He knows that such a controversial topic will never pass a free vote, the NDP and the Liberals will crush it even if his own party votes pretty much along party lines, if even a few break ranks it will be defeated. This is Tory breaking a promise before he is even in government, which tops even McGuinty’s record for promise breaking.

Tory started the whole tempest in a teapot by saying that other faith-based schools should receive the same funding as public schools. The Liberals point out it would cost at least 100 Million more then the PC parties projected 400 Million, and the PC’s have no plan for how to pay for it. Now Tory is washing his hands of it in a manner that ensures his hands are clean. I think its time to show Tory that Canadian voters aren’t that stupid. Tory has practically made two issues his entire campaign:

• Issue #1: Dalton McGuinty’s hanging from the telephone wire with pants on fire

• Issue #2: All faith-based schools should receive government funding

How can a man who is breaking a campaign promise before the election even takes place be trusted?

Who to Vote For in the Upcoming Election Part III: The Conservatives

The Progressive Conservatives, or the Regressive Conservatives as critics often call them, is headed by John Tory. The Conservatives are often called Tories, which has absolutely nothing to do with John Tory heading the party. The Liberals are Grits, and the Conservatives are Tories. This is from the British parliamentary system and dates back a very long time before John Tory was born. John Tory is running on a Campaign of “Leadership Matters” mocking McGuinty’s apparent lack of leadership. Tory seems obsessed with making McGuinty look bad, this is neither uncommon, nor difficult to do. His platform is broken down into four sections:

1. Investing in Stronger Communities – Tory’s Education, Police, Poverty, and arts and culture stance
2. Fairness for your Family – Tory’s Tax platform
3. Government that Works for You – Accountable government, truthful Taxes, Jobs, and Law
4. Building Ontario’s Future – Jobs, education, immigration, environmental, energy, and infrastructure.

Basically Tory’s stance is that the Liberals had four years to implement a plan and the only thing they managed to do was raise taxes after promising not to. After reading his policy document I would have to conclude that there is very little new in it. It is 90% blame Liberals 5% increase services and 5% lower taxes oh yes and keep the budget balanced while doing so.

As for Amoralist issues, well I’d have to say that any Amoralist looking to vote conservative better get their heads examined. Sure Tory wants to lower taxes, but he won’t be able to do it. He wants to somehow give funding to religious schools while not cutting any money from the public schools. I have no problem funding religious schools, however I do feel that most of the money should come from private donations, after all they want to bypass public education in order to educate kids in the ways of their religion. The only thing I like is his immigration policy, which would break down the barriers which turn skilled trades workers into cab drivers. His environmental policy is abysmal, his fiscal plan is nonexistent, he will bankrupt the education system, he seems bent on privatizing health care, basically he is a mirror image of his federal counterpart Stephen Harer, but at least Tory has a personality.