CityVote Day 27: Hudak defends controversial campaign flyer

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak is defending his party’s latest campaign flyers after accusations the material is deceptive and misleading.

The PC’s have released a flyer covered with snippets of text, saying the information is from a Toronto District School Board teachers’ guide. It claims the quotes come from the kindergarten to grade 12 curriculums.  

Some of the statements on the flyer include:

“Cross-dressing for 6 year-olds.”

“Reclaim Valentine’s Day and celebrate sexual diversity (with a) kissing booth.”

A school board official tells CityNews the information was taken from a resource guide to deal with homophobia in schools, and the quotes were taken out of context. For example, the actual guide book states children should receive Hershey Kisses candy for filling out a survey on homophobia.

Hudak was quick to defend the ad Monday.

“I just think this shows another example of how Dalton McGuinty’s lost touch with mainstream Ontario and the NDP, they’re just right behind him, I don’t agree.”

Meanwhile, Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty says Hudak is grasping at straws.

“If you don’t have a plan to create jobs in the face of a looming global economic challenge let’s say, I think you’re going to grasp at whatever straws you can get your hands on. I think the other thing I might say it that it’s rather disappointing. Mr. Hudak started his campaign on a divisive note, now he’s winding up his campaign on another divisive note.”

Controversy aside, the leaders were scrambling for support in southern Ontario Monday as polls suggest that a minority government is looming.

McGuinty was in the Toronto and Kitchener areas, Hudak was in the southwest while the NDP’s Andrea Horwath was in Brampton and Toronto.

Horwath said Monday it was “shocking and disappointing” to hear McGuinty and Hudak say they’re not prepared to work with anyone.

McGuinty said Sunday that he will refuse to strike any deals with his rivals in order to form a minority government. He ruled out a coalition in a letter to Hudak.

“I am running to form a Liberal government — and only a Liberal government. There will be no coalition with either your party or the NDP,” McGuinty said.

He went so far as to say “no coalition, no accord, no agreement, formal or informal, or any other linkage of any kind.”

Polls have indicated the Liberals and the Progressive Conservatives are in a dead heat heading into the final week of the campaign, with the New Democrats trailing but picking up support.

That has raised the prospect of a minority government in Ontario for the first time in 26 years. Premier David Peterson led a NDP-Liberal coalition from 1985-1987.

The premier’s declaration came after Hudak accused McGuinty of planning “backroom deals” with the New Democrats.

Hudak also warned that Ontario could end up with the Liberals and NDP scheming together to hike taxes.

Horwath, however, was evasive when asked if she would rule out a coalition. The NDP could prop up either a Liberal or PC administration, making the party something of a kingmaker in the election.

“I’ll give the people of the province, Ontarians, the respect they deserve and wait to see what their decision is,” Horwath said while campaigning in Toronto.

She talked up what an NDP government would do during its first 100 days in power, stressing priorities such as cutting the HST from hydro bills and freezing tuition.