Ontario candidates off and running

Weeks of unofficial campaigning became official on Wednesday.

At nine am Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty entered Queen’s Park with his wife Terri, saying, ‘hang onto your hats folks, it’s going to be a fun one.’ He asked Lieutenant Governor David Onley to dissolve the legislature, and came back out smiling.
He held his first official campaign event in Mississauga at midday.
McGuinty has been premier since 2003; he’s looking for a third term, while the PCs’ Tim Hudak and the NDP’s Andrea Horwath will be running in their first campaigns as party leaders.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath kicked off her campaign this morning in front of a big orange bus talking mostly about the economy. She says the NDP has a better track record governing provinces than people think.

“So I’m gonna follow in the footsteps of premiers like Gary Doer, Daryl Dexter, and the founder of my party Tommy Douglas, who believed that you have to have a balanced budget if you’re going to be able to provide a good economy and opportunity for people in your province.”
Tory leader Tim Hudak had a news conference outside a family home in Scarborough, with his wife Deb Hutton and their daughter Miller.
He was grilled on his health care plans and refused to answer whether he’d go after doctors who charge illegal user fees. However he did say he’s committed to public, universal health care.
And he continued to attack the premier, who he calls the tax man.
“Dalton McGuinty’s going to make all kinds of spending promises. He’ll make promises every day, and every day he’s going to throw out $100 million over there, $100 million over here. How is he going to pay for it all? The big elephant in the room over the Liberal party headquarters, what tax increase is Dalton McGuinty going to bring in to pay for all those promises? Dalton McGuinty will increase your taxes. We know that for sure. I will not.”
McGuinty has yet to speak but his Liberal party has already put out a response to Hudak, who they call Tea Party Tim. They’re dredging up his record of health care cuts under Premier Mike Harris’ rule.
Video: Lisa Hepfner reports: