Elliott takes on Hudak over Human Rights Tribunal

TORONTO - Progressive Conservative leadership contender Christine Elliott attacked rival Tim Hudak Wednesday over a proposal to scrap the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, warning it will poison the party's chances of forming the next government.

In a speech, she twice singled out Hudak for his support of the proposal, raising the spectre of another disastrous election campaign sunk by an unpopular issue.

"Are we really serious about wanting to win the next election? I know I am," Elliott said during an all-candidates talk to the Canadian and Empire clubs.

"If we take the position that Tim is advocating, it would be a gift to the Liberals -- one which they would exploit as ruthlessly as they did with faith-based funding."

Her remarks seemed to be aimed at weakening Hudak's support among party members, who are still licking their wounds from the 2007 election defeat.

The election campaign was dominated by the Conservatives' ill-fated proposal to extend public funding to faith-based schools -- a promise former leader John Tory made in the 2004 leadership race.

But the policy tanked with voters three years later, leading the Tories to one of their worst showings ever.

The same thing will happen if the party chooses a leader who wants to dismantle a human rights legacy the Progressive Conservatives established in 1961, Elliott said.

"Why on earth would we want to expose ourselves by plunging recklessly into such a controversial issue?" said the 53-year-old Whitby lawyer, who is married to federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.

"Just like faith-based funding, this is a policy that was made with the short-term goal of winning a leadership campaign. If we're going to beat the Liberals, we have to show better judgment than that."

Abolishing the tribunal in favour of having human rights cases heard in court would hurt victims of discrimination, many of whom can't afford a lengthy and expensive court battle, she said.

Elliott named rural activist Randy Hillier, who was the first candidate to advocate the policy in the race to succeed Tory, only once in her speech. Two-time leadership hopeful Frank Klees, who wants to keep the tribunal, wasn't mentioned at all.

All the candidates were invited to speak, but few strayed from their prepared remarks or singled out any of their opponents.

Hudak was reluctant to respond in kind, saying he'll abide by former U.S. president Ronald Regan's 11th commandment: Thou shalt not speak ill of another Conservative.

"I'm very much focused on bringing our party together and going after (Premier) Dalton McGuinty," he said after the speeches.

Once perceived to be the front-runner, the 41-year-old Niagara politician is facing an uphill battle in what party officials are calling a horse race.

The race has recruited about 32,000 new members to the party, but officials won't break down the numbers by campaign -- a key indicator of who may be in the lead ahead of the June leadership vote.

Klees confirmed Wednesday that he's signed up about 10,000 members, but Hudak refused to comment on a leaked memo boasting that his campaign recruited 14,000.

Hudak is endorsed by former premier Mike Harris and enjoys the support of more federal MPs, provincial caucus members and riding association presidents than any other candidate.

But Hudak has raised about half the money Elliott has collected since the race began in March, according to the latest figures from Elections Ontario.

Supporting a policy that would kill a sacred cow of Ontario conservatism -- weeks after Hillier first suggested it -- may also alienate a large base of party members who treasure the legacy of their 42-year rule of the province.

Sen. Hugh Segal, a key figure from that era who has endorsed Elliott, points out that Conservative governments were the first to establish such human rights bodies in Canada -- policy that stemmed from their deep belief in protecting individual rights.

"Human rights commissions can be modernized, made more fair and less bureaucratic," he said.

"But the notion of doing away with them because they're inconvenient or because some human rights commissions have made bad decisions in the past, I think is not the kind of judgment people would expect from somebody who wants to be premier of Ontario."

The issue will likely emerge again as the candidates face off in a series of four debates across the province.

The party forbade the media from recording Thursday's debate in London -- a decision protested by Elliott's and Hudak's teams.

"I would like to express my sincere disappointment with this decision," Elliott spokesman Dan Miles said in a letter to the party executive.

"It is not in the best interests of the public or the PC Party of Ontario to impede journalists from carrying out their responsibilities. We ought to be showcasing the great ideas and individuals in this contest."

Progressive Conservative leadership contender Christine Elliott attacked rival Tim Hudak Wednesday over a proposal to scrap the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, warning it will poison the party's chances of forming the next government.

In a speech, she twice singled out Hudak for his support of the proposal, raising the spectre of another disastrous election campaign sunk by an unpopular issue.

"Are we really serious about wanting to win the next election? I know I am," Elliott said during an all-candidates talk to the Canadian and Empire clubs.

"If we take the position that Tim is advocating, it would be a gift to the Liberals -- one which they would exploit as ruthlessly as they did with faith-based funding."

Her remarks seemed to be aimed at weakening Hudak's support among party members, who are still licking their wounds from the 2007 election defeat.

The election campaign was dominated by the Conservatives' ill-fated proposal to extend public funding to faith-based schools -- a promise former leader John Tory made in the 2004 leadership race.

But the policy tanked with voters three years later, leading the Tories to one of their worst showings ever.

The same thing will happen if the party chooses a leader who wants to dismantle a human rights legacy the Progressive Conservatives established in 1961, Elliott said.

"Why on earth would we want to expose ourselves by plunging recklessly into such a controversial issue?" said the 53-year-old Whitby lawyer, who is married to federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.

"Just like faith-based funding, this is a policy that was made with the short-term goal of winning a leadership campaign. If we're going to beat the Liberals, we have to show better judgment than that."

Abolishing the tribunal in favour of having human rights cases heard in court would hurt victims of discrimination, many of whom can't afford a lengthy and expensive court battle, she said.

Elliott named rural activist Randy Hillier, who was the first candidate to advocate the policy in the race to succeed Tory, only once in her speech. Two-time leadership hopeful Frank Klees, who wants to keep the tribunal, wasn't mentioned at all.

All the candidates were invited to speak, but few strayed from their prepared remarks or singled out any of their opponents.

Hudak was reluctant to respond in kind, saying he'll abide by former U.S. president Ronald Regan's 11th commandment: Thou shalt not speak ill of another Conservative.

"I'm very much focused on bringing our party together and going after (Premier) Dalton McGuinty," he said after the speeches.

Once perceived to be the front-runner, the 41-year-old Niagara politician is facing an uphill battle in what party officials are calling a horse race.

The race has recruited about 32,000 new members to the party, but officials won't break down the numbers by campaign -- a key indicator of who may be in the lead ahead of the June leadership vote.

Klees confirmed Wednesday that he's signed up about 10,000 members, but Hudak refused to comment on a leaked memo boasting that his campaign recruited 14,000.

Hudak is endorsed by former premier Mike Harris and enjoys the support of more federal MPs, provincial caucus members and riding association presidents than any other candidate.

But Hudak has raised about half the money Elliott has collected since the race began in March, according to the latest figures from Elections Ontario.

Supporting a policy that would kill a sacred cow of Ontario conservatism -- weeks after Hillier first suggested it -- may also alienate a large base of party members who treasure the legacy of their 42-year rule of the province.

Sen. Hugh Segal, a key figure from that era who has endorsed Elliott, points out that Conservative governments were the first to establish such human rights bodies in Canada -- policy that stemmed from their deep belief in protecting individual rights.

"Human rights commissions can be modernized, made more fair and less bureaucratic," he said.

"But the notion of doing away with them because they're inconvenient or because some human rights commissions have made bad decisions in the past, I think is not the kind of judgment people would expect from somebody who wants to be premier of Ontario."

The issue will likely emerge again as the candidates face off in a series of four debates across the province.

The party forbade the media from recording Thursday's debate in London -- a decision protested by Elliott's and Hudak's teams.

"I would like to express my sincere disappointment with this decision," Elliott spokesman Dan Miles said in a letter to the party executive.

"It is not in the best interests of the public or the PC Party of Ontario to impede journalists from carrying out their responsibilities. We ought to be showcasing the great ideas and individuals in this contest."