by Dalsen Chen
1. There’s another math mistake in Tim Hudak‘s “Million Jobs Plan,” say the Liberals. The Tory platform promises $2.15 billion in annual savings can be achieved through a public-sector wage freeze. But according to the Grits, their proposed budget didn’t devote any money to wage increases. That means Hudak will need to go on a “frenzy of slash and burn” in order to find his savings, the Liberals allege. Brad Duguid, Liberal minister of training, colleges and universities, said Hudak’s plan is “exactly what happened with Mike Harris” and will result in every public service being “fair game” for cuts. Duguid said the PC Party leader is either deliberately misleading voters or “grossly incompetent.”
The Tories fired back that the Liberals are only trying to distract from the government’s “reckless overspending and waste.” They argued the Liberal budget makes no mention of curbing public sector wages, and even talks about continued wage increases.
Federal Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, who joined Premier Kathleen Wynne at a rally in Ottawa on Wednesday night, also mocked Hudak’s math — joking that math could be the reason for the Tories’ apparent dislike of the teaching profession.
2. Did the Ontario Liberal Party make a deal with the Ontario Provincial Police Association for the union’s endorsement? That’s what Tim Hudak is suggesting in the wake of anti-Tory OPPA ads. At a campaign stop in Ottawa on Thursday, Hudak said he has concerns that the Liberals made promises to the OPPA in exchange for the union coming out against the PC Party.
Jim Christie, president of the union that represents provincial police officers, said the ads aren’t endorsing any party — they’re only warning against a Hudak government. Liberal leader Kathleen Wynne said in Toronto that she had “no idea” of the OPPA’s advertising plans.
The OPPA commercials say that Hudak wants to cancel police contracts, cut police pay, and cut pensions for new hires. The Ontario Provincial Police organization has made it clear it does not support the OPPA campaign in any way. Commissioner Vince Hawkes issued a letter saying public service members are restricted from political activity.
3. Ontarians would be better respected under a New Democrat government, says Andrea Horwath. Speaking in Port Colborne on Thursday, the Ontario NDP leader promised that within 30 days of taking the premier’s office, she would introduce the “Respect for Ontarians Act” — legislation aimed at strengthening the ban on partisan government advertising and expanding the Ontario Ombudsman‘s oversight.
“This will help us with cleaning up Queen’s Park,” Horwath said.
Horwath said the Liberal record is “indefensible,” and the Tories represent the wrong type of change. “The solution to bad ethics isn’t bad math,” she said.
–with files by The Canadian Press
dchen@windsorstar.com