Striking a divisive tone in the race to succeed John Tory as party leader, Elliott lashed out at the front-running Hudak during a packed all-candidates' forum at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel.

"If we take the position Tim is advocating, it would be a gift to the Liberals – one which they would exploit as ruthlessly as they did with the issue of faith-based funding," she warned, referring to Tory's disastrous 2007 pledge to fund religious schools.

"Why on Earth would we want to expose ourselves by plunging recklessly into such a controversial issue?" said the Whitby-Oshawa MPP.

"If we're going to beat the Liberals, we have to show better judgment than that."

Hudak, who has followed long-shot candidate Randy Hillier's lead on calling for the rights body to be scrapped, said Elliott's charge was "a bit over the top."

But he refused to drawn into the fray, saying his team is following "what Ronald Reagan called his 11th commandment: thou shalt not speak ill of another conservative."

Still, Hudak emphasized Tories are profoundly concerned about the rights body, which has become a bête noire in conservative circles where it is perceived as infringing on individual and press liberties. Continued....