I don’t expect to see the faith-based funding issue in Ontario to go away quietly now that the election is behind us. John Tory not only let the genie out of the bottle as it related to the PC election campaign, he has also planted the issue squarely in the lap of the McGuinty Liberals to do something about the existing religious discrimination. Andrew Coyne posted an accurate assessment of some of the underlying motives (and the ugly side) of the debate:
Just to be clear — it probably is true that having kids of different backgrounds mix together at school contributes to greater social harmony. It’s also fair, in light of experience, to worry about what might be taught at the odd madrassa. What’s wrong is to draw a straight line from funding a few religious schools, with appropriate safeguards, to a total breakdown in social cohesion. What’s wrong is to whip this up into the single central issue of the campaign, as if there were some enormous crisis at hand. It’s the difference between legitimate concern and fearmongering — especially fearmongering directed, explicitly or implicitly, at a vulnerable minority. It’s the difference between statesmanship and demagoguery.
Source.
And now McGuinty will have to face increased pressure for withdrawing public funds from Catholic schools:
The new Liberal Government must not ignore the wishes of the distinct majority of Ontario’s citizens who, during the provincial election, expressed their objection to the funding of any faith-base education scheme through the public purse.
…
Failure to heed the voice of the people will be seen as much more than a necessary broken promise more like a democratic betrayal.
Source.
Good luck with that, Mr. McGuinty.