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EVES COMES OUT SWINGING AGAINST PARENTAL CHOICE IN EDUCATION TAX CREDIT

Slanders independent schools, implying they teach "hatred" and "intolerance"

TORONTO, December 18, 2001 (LSN.ca) - Ontario Tory Leadership contender Ernie Eves, slammed the lack of more restrictive conditions within the new Ontario independent schools tax credit program. Eves, the former provincial Finance Minister, blasted his leadership rival, current Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, for allowing the tax credit to be unhampered by the need to follow the Ontario state-mandated education curriculum. Eves descended so far in his animosity toward independent schools as to suggest that the lack of more control would fail to prevent the teaching of "hatred" in private schools.

"Are you in favour -- this is a hypothetical scenario -- are you in favour of a school that doesn't teach any basic curriculum and teaches hatred?" he said. "Would you be in favour of that?" The comments were viewed alarmingly by pro-family leaders, especially given Eves' staunch anti-life and anti-family background. "This is the language of abortion and homosexual activist bullies who suggest that anything which might not indoctrinate children with their ideological 'choices' is 'hateful' and 'intolerant'," said Jim Hughes of Campaign Life Coalition. The Canadian Press interpreted Eves' comments to mean "Eves suggested there would be nothing in place to stop the spread of intolerance." The Toronto Sun also reported that the plan's lax rules would "overlook intolerance." The media and Eves obviously view the growth of independent schools as a serious threat to their liberal agenda rather than the provision of academic excellence and genuine family choice in education.

The only other comments on record which have expressed similar concerns about the tax credit were made by Toronto lawyer Clayton Ruby, best known as the lawyer of choice for abortionists and of the pro-abortion movement. At a press conference against the tuition tax credit, Ruby was quoted by the Globe and Mail as saying, "What the public school system does that is irreplaceable is teach people tolerance." Hughes commented, "The abortion proponents are apparently afraid of losing the social liberal monopoly control of public education and the formation of the minds of all of Ontario's children."

Flaherty said the new tax credit program enables parents themselves to decide what schooling is best for their children while requiring independent schools to provide parents with academic descriptions and credentials and to meet a few other conditions regarding total instruction time and a criminal record check of teachers.

See the Canadian Press and Toronto Sun coverage:
http://www.canoe.ca/NationalTicker/CANOE-wire.Ont-Private-Sc...
http://www.canoe.ca/TorontoNews/ts.ts-12-18-0014.html

See related LifeSite coverage on Ruby's comments:
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2001/may/01052502.html

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