TORONTO - One might think "Ford" was a four-letter word the way Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak was avoiding saying the Toronto mayor's name today.

Hudak seemed distinctly uncomfortable as reporters pressed him on Rob Ford's possible influence on the provincial election campaign.

Hudak repeatedly refused to even mention Ford's name, insisting instead on invoking Premier Dalton McGuinty.

He finally relented, saying the mayor was looking at city management's recommendations for cuts.

Hudak recently praised the right-leaning mayor for his policies aimed at cutting wasteful spending.

But opposition to the mayor's musings about cuts to libraries and other services is growing.