Put any removal of Lord's Prayer to free vote in legislature: Conservatives

An all-party committee is now considering alternatives to the prayer which opens the daily proceedings in the legislature. But Opposition Leader Bob Runciman says any decision to scrap the traditional prayer should be put to a free vote.

He says Conservatives are adamantly opposed to replacing the daily reading, which he says is an important part of Ontario's history.

Runciman says over 100 petitions containing 23,000 signatures have been tabled in the legislature opposing the proposal while over 6,000 people have sent e-mails on the issue.

Liberal House Leader Michael Bryant says he won't prejudge the work of the all-party committee by committing to a free vote.