The governing Liberals have launched a byelection barrage against Patrick Brown, charging the rookie Progressive Conservative leader opposes same-sex marriage and abortion rights.

With voters in Simcoe North casting ballots on Sept. 3, Deputy Premier Deb Matthews sent a letter this week to 47,000 households blasting Brown.

“Ever since Patrick Brown rose from obscurity to take over Tim Hudak’s PC Party, I have been feeling uneasy,” Matthews wrote.

“As a woman, a mother and a grandmother, I am concerned about how far to the right Mr. Brown intends to take his new party,” she continued.

Matthews’ missive — paid for by the Ontario Liberal Party — noted that as Barrie MP in the federal Conservative government, Brown “voted to take away the right of same-sex couples to marry.”

“He also voted to examine changes to the Criminal Code to both eliminate a woman’s right to choose and recriminalize fundamental reproductive rights that Canadian women depend on,” she wrote.

“Now, Patrick Brown is opposing the updated sex ed and health curriculum that gives kids the tools they need to stay safe.”

Brown — who became Tory leader on May 9 with support from social conservatives, including the anti-abortion Coalition Life Coalition — has previously distanced himself from his past stances, stressing he “will not revisit any of the social issues” so divisive in politics.

Tamara Macgregor, his spokeswoman, said Matthews’ letter “is a desperate smear from a Liberal Party consumed by scandal, education turmoil, and financial incompetence‎.”

“It is on public record that Patrick Brown opposes any changes to abortion access and was the first Ontario PC leader to lead an official delegation at the Toronto Pride parade,” said Macgregor

“The Liberals would rather spread misrepresentations about their political opponents than have a debate on why — on their watch — Ontario has had its credit (rating) downgraded, lost 300,000 manufacturing jobs, and become the most indebted sub-national government in world — not to mention the four OPP investigations they are under,” she said.

In an interview, Matthews, who will be campaigning for Liberal candidate Fred Larsen in Simcoe North on Thursday, said the Grits want to alert Orillia area voters that Brown is not as moderate as retired PC MPP Garfield Dunlop.

“His record speaks for itself,” she said of the Tory leader.

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“Garfield Dunlop was pretty progressive on some of those issues and Patrick Brown is no Garfield Dunlop.”

Elizabeth Van Houtte is the NDP candidate in Simcoe North while Valerie Powell is running for the Greens.

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