Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty says the funding of private religious schools will not be the decisive issue in next month's provincial election.
While the Progressive Conservative proposal to fund faith-based schools has dominated the first 10 days of the election campaign, McGuinty says it will not be the ballot question.
"I think it's a mistake ... to say there's one single issue that's overwhelmingly going to dominate the thinking of a typical Ontario household and family,'' he told reporters after touring a rural public school in Newburgh, a small town about 40 kilometres northwest of Kingston.
McGuinty, however, didn't immediately say where the Liberals will now shift their focus.
"People will take all kinds of things into account,'' he said. "I think they're concerned about a number of issues, and I'm going to speak to those.''
Earlier, he said publicly funded rural schools are staying open and getting stronger under the Liberals. He blamed the previous Conservative government for closing more than 100 rural schools.
McGuinty's comments came a day after a poll conducted by The Strategic Counsel for CTV and The Globe and Mail showed about two-thirds (71 per cent) of Ontarians say that they oppose the funding of faith-based schools. Just 26 per cent are in favour.
The poll also concluded the issue was "dead-on-arrival" for the majority of voters.
A week into the official election campaign, the poll shows McGuinty's Liberals (40 per cent) have maintained their six-point lead over the Conservatives (34 per cent).
The NDP are polling at 16 per cent and the Greens at 10 per cent. The results are compared to a similar poll conducted between August 9 and August 12, 2007.
McGuinty, PC Leader John Tory and NDP Leader Howard Hampton are spending the day campaigning in eastern Ontario. The leaders will later attend the International Plowing Match and Rural Expo in Crosby, about an hour-and-a half drive south of Ottawa, where they will compete head-to-head on tractors.
Tory talks produce
Tory, meanwhile, shifted his focus on Tuesday on homegrown produce. He said he would like to make all public institutions -- including schools, jails, hospitals and government buildings -- serve local fruits and vegetables.
"What I want to have in place are very clear guidelines that say if you are using taxpayer money in a public building, whether it's at a college or a hospital ... you are buying and serving Ontario produce,'' he said at a dairy farm outside Brockville.
Tory admitted it was hard enough getting his own four kids to eat broccoli, but he said it's worth trying out the proposal.
"These things aren't simple to do, but I don't think it means you don't try.''
Tory said it's not enough to run "feel-good ads'' about Ontario produce. He also said there should be clear and visible signs at grocery stores.
"I would rather spend the money on having really good promotions that would get people in to buy Ontario broccoli or Ontario asparagus or Ontario apples than to have the feel-good ads on television that don't really tell anybody anything,'' Tory said.
"We've got to do a much better job.''
With files from The Canadian Press
