Apparently there is growing disagreement about John Tory's proposal for private religious funding for schools amongst John Tory's very own Progressive Conservative ranks. Deputy Premier George Smitherman himself says that "Conservative candidates are questioning John Tory's judgment." No small claim considering what's at stake for the PC party.

Garfield Dunlop, the Simcoe-North MPP notes that "Many Tory MPPs did not know religious funding would be part of the campaign."

From Rob Morley, the Huron-Bruce candidate: "We should take it all back to one system... One system for everyone, that's the message I'm thinking."

Those three quotes are from an article on the Candian Business Online website, titled Conservative candidates are running away from John Tory's questionable private school scheme.

There is mention on the site of 7 other dissenting voices within the party, one of whom is Bill Murdoch. Apparently just today he went further than his position noted in the Canadian Business Online article, and is now promising to vote against Tory's proposal: "you have my word that should this come before the legislature, as it stands today, with the majority of my riding opposed, I will vote against it." That from torytube.ca currently the most recent post from Sept. 24. I can't find mention of the story on the Owen Sound Sun Times website, but CBC Radio 1 ran it as the lead story on the 1pm news, so I'll keep checking for a proper link.

Finally the CBC reports that the Canadian Civil Liberties Association have revised their stance on the private religious funding issue and are now in favour of a calling complete stop to funding for Catholic schools. The full text is available on the CCLA website, and is titled Fostering a More Tolerant Society: A joint statement against the funding of religious schools.