A day after he softened his controversial stance on funding religious schools, Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory got an earful from a voter who was angered by the sudden backtracking.
Jim Devine confronted Tory on Tuesday morning during a campaign stop in Toronto, where the leader was speaking about phasing out the province's unpopular health tax.
"I want to know from you, sir, what is your explanation? Do you still believe in what you said at the beginning -- that we have to have segregated schools -- or have you changed your platform?" Devine asked inside a grocery store.
Tory took exception to the "segregation" claim, and said he changed his tune after listening to constituents.
"What I'm saying to the people is we still do need to address the issue of fairness and inclusion in our school system and I stand by that," he said. "We're now going to let the people decide . . . There is nothing wrong with listening to the people."
Tory said allowing a free vote and talking about the issue before the election is "exactly what (Liberal Leader Dalton) McGuinty did not do (before raising taxes)."
Conservative campaign staff later tried to convince members of the media that Devine was a Liberal supporter who was sent to disrupt Tory's event.
On Monday, Tory announced he would, if elected premier, allow a free vote in the legislature on his funding proposal for faith-based schools.
Tory said his plan to spend $400 million to bring private religious schools into the public education system will only proceed after extensive public consultation.
The about-face came nine days before the Oct. 10 election. Tory's election campaign has been hindered by the proposal, which has been widely unpopular among voters and even created divisions within his own party.
Tory says he is going to spend the remaining week talking about issues such as taxes, jobs and health care.
At a campaign stop in Goderich, McGuinty questioned Tory's leadership.
"Now what he lacks the courage to do immediately, he plans to do by stealth. Just like he's demonstrated bad judgment in the past, he continues to show bad judgment," McGuinty said.
"There is going to be a free vote -- it's going to be on Oct. 10. That's when Ontarians get to pass judgment on their own."
NDP Leader Howard Hampton said it's a shame so much attention has been paid to the religious schools issue when the province has other serious concerns.
"I think it's a travesty in Ontario that we've become the child poverty capital of Canada and the issue hardly gets raised, hardly gets any attention," he said in Hanmer, in northern Ontario.
McGuinty touts health care record
McGuinty spent Tuesday touting his party's health care record, and vowed more Ontario residents will have a family doctor if he is re-elected.
He said 500,000 more people have a family doctor now since he came into power in 2003. McGuinty says he could double that number with another term in office.
The Liberal leader also pledged to add 50 family health teams to provide a range of services -- many of them in rural areas. He said 150 such teams have been created during his mandate.
McGuinty said his health-care premium, which costs residents up to $900 a year, is the sacrifice taxpayers have made to guarantee a strong medical system.
"The reasons again that we've got all those nurses, all those doctors, that we're building hospitals, is because (Ontarians) are making sacrifices," he said.
Hampton vows to better autistic treatment
Hampton, meanwhile, promised parents of autistic children his party will help families struggling to receive the expensive intensive behavioural intervention treatment.
He said McGuinty has failed to deliver on promises he made for autism care four years ago.
"These desperate parents and these vulnerable kids have been among the most deceived and manipulated by Dalton McGuinty of anybody in the province,'' Hampton said.
"People want to know what this election is about? It's about getting justice for these parents and these kids.''
The NDP leader promises to spend $100 million annually for children with autism and clear the wait period for treatment. The plank is one of his six major commitments leading up to the election.
Hampton planned to spend the day visiting three of the province's 11 northern ridings.
With a report from CTV's Paul Bliss and files from The Canadian Press
