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Freedom Party of Ontario

- MEDIA RELEASE -

For immediate release



Election 2007: Tax-funding for Religious Schools

Tory Team Hiding Behind Courts in Defence of Religious Schools Proposal

September 6, 2007, London, Ontario - Freedom Party of Ontario leader Paul McKeever today wants some answers from PC leader John Tory, after at least one PC candidate has chosen to hide behind the courts in defence of the PC party's disastrous proposal to fund private religious schools. 

At an all-candidates debate for multiple London ridings yesterday, Jim Chapman, the Progressive Conservative candidate for the riding of London-Fanshawe told the audience that the courts will force the Ontario government to fund private religious schools with taxes if the government does not do so voluntarily.  As reported in today's London Free Press, McKeever (who is running in London West) slammed Chapman for trying to rescue the Progressive Conservatives by hiding behind unwarranted statements about the courts.

In response to the story, Chapman took his case to a morning talk radio audience and, again, found himself crossing swords with McKeever:

Online Audio from today's Andy Oudman show, 1290 AM CJBK, London :

Part 1: Chapman does his pitch

Part 2: McKeever challenges Chapman

Part 3: Chapman and McKeever continue to joust

"This issue has already been dealt with decisively by the Supreme Court of Canada in the case of Adler v. Ontario (1996)," says McKeever, "and the court has made it quite clear that the Constitution does not require the government to fund private religious schools with tax revenues. 

"Given what Mr. Chapman is telling people, John Tory owes Ontario voters some answers:

"One: does John Tory want to tell Ontarians that the courts will force us to fund religious schools, or will he do what a real leader should and must do?: reject such a clearly false assertion as false. 

"Two: is Mr. Chapman getting his marching orders from the John Tory central campaign team with respect to his spinning of this issue?

"Three: is it good leadership to blame a divisive election plank on 'having no choice' because the court purportedly is twisting ones arm?"

Mr. Chapman is a recently retired radio and television talk show host.  At the debate yesterday, he billed himself as "the John Tory candidate for the riding of London Fanshawe".


For further details, contact:
Paul McKeever

Cell: ***-***-****
website: https://freedomparty.on.ca
e-mail: e-mail
FPO's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/fpontario
FPO's 2007 Election Platform: https://freedomparty.on.ca/election2007/platform.page.htm


This media release distributed to all major news media and blogs, and to Ontario's MPPs.


Freedom Party of Ontario
240 Commissioners Road West
London, Ontario
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Tel: 1-800-830-3301
web: https://freedomparty.on.ca