Catholic School Funding Is Political Kryptonite

Yesterday, Alvin Tedjo announced his candidacy to be the next leader of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Google Search tells us that Tedjo , is an education and political consultant who lives in Oakville ,and as far as we can ascertain, this would be his first foray into provincial politics.

But, in launching his leadership bid, he announced that one of his priorities was to eliminate funding for Catholic schools and amalgamate all school boards into two secular, English and French school boards.

If Mr. Tedjo was trying to draw attention to his campaign, he’s done so, but for the wrong reasons.

Perhaps a history lesson might give Mr. Tedjo  some perspective.

In the 2007 election, all the polls showed that PC leader John Tory  was about to steamroller over a very unpopular Dalton McGuinty.

Then, for some inexplicable reason, Tory announced a similar plan revamp the funding formula for Ontario schools.

The firestorm of anger over Tory’s plan was so cataclysmic that it propelled the McGuinty government from the precipice of certain defeat to not only win the election , but form a majority government.

The lesson to be learned is that full funding for Ontario Catholic schools , which is enshrined in the Constitution, is political kryptonite  for any candidate.

Mr. Tedjo may well be the only leadership candidate to launch a campaign, and sink it in the same day.