TORONTO - It might otherwise be just another all-candidates gabfest in a province with 107 ridings, except Sunday's debate in the flashpoint riding of Don Valley West has taken on the trappings of a Goliath versus Goliath battle emblematic of Ontario's larger election campaign.
For Liberal Kathleen Wynne, the province's popular education minister, the debate affords an opportunity to do some direct damage to her chief nemesis, Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory, a man many voters believe would make a fine premier, according to opinion polls.
"(The debate) could have a major role in the way people make up their minds there,'' Liberal party spokesman Ben Chin said on Saturday.
"All indications are this is a knock 'em down, drag 'em out fight right till the last minute, up till one minute before the polls close.''
Choosing among the two strong candidates is a dilemma keenly felt by voters in this mostly affluent, tree-lined constituency.
The one nasty fly in Tory's ointment is his unwavering pledge to have taxpayers spend $400 million to fund religious schools, a widely panned idea that has left many brows furrowed on even the party's strongest supporters.
"The schools policy was one that was obviously thought about very carefully about before the election,'' Tory said Saturday during a campaign stop in Thunder Bay, Ont.
"It's the right thing to do.''
For Wynne, whom even Conservative faithful concede is an effective, hardworking politician, the albatross appears to be her boss, Premier Dalton McGuinty, who has been on the defensive throughout the campaign for breaking several promises he made during the last election.
"It's a difficult decision: I don't like the choices,'' said one riding resident as he sipped a coffee in the sunshine outside a Second Cup at the York Mills plaza in the heart of the riding.
"John Tory is pressing for these religious based schools and I don't like it, and Kathleen Wynne is a very strong candidate but I can't stand her leader.''
Liberals don't want to lose Wynne, says insider
A former top Conservative strategist who lives in Don Valley West said Wynne will no doubt attack Tory on the issue during Sunday's debate, which also includes candidates from the NDP, Greens and Family Coalition.
"I'm sure she's being schooled up by their provincial campaign to try to do some damage to John but he's too fine a guy to rise to that bait,'' said strategist, who asked not to be identified.
"He'll just be himself and just talk about the riding.''
The Liberals, not surprisingly, would dearly love their candidate to trounce Tory, who gave up a safe Conservative seat to run in the riding in which he was born in an effort to bolster the party's fortunes in Toronto.
"The big thing for us is just not wanting to lose her,'' said one highly placed Liberal insider. "She's one of our best.''
Losing the seat to Tory, while no disgrace, would spell at least a temporary end to Wynne's political career.
For Tory, however, a riding loss Oct. 10 would be politically shattering if his party also fails to make significant headway against the incumbent Liberals, observers said.
"Were the Liberals to lose a whole bunch of seats, even short of falling into a minority, Tory could reasonably claim to his party, `Look, I've done very well here, we're within striking distance, hang in with me and we'll be able to beat them','' said political analyst Graham Murray.
"Under those circumstances, he might be able to make a case for staying.''
McGuinty did not campaign Saturday, while NDP Leader Howard Hampton planned to pick up an award in Ottawa.
