Tories urging NDP to pull support from Wynne’s Liberals

The Progressive Conservatives are launching a full-force attack on premier Kathleen Wynne for the Liberals’ gas plant email cover-up, just as the legislature prepares to vote on the budget.

Opposition leader Tim Hudak took the reigns at question period this morning, calling on the New Democrats to abandon their promise to vote for the budget. If the party broke their pledge to support the budget, it could trigger a provincial election.

The Tories say they don’t understand how the NDP can call the Liberals corrupt for deleting emails on the cost of cancelling the gas plants, and at the same time keep them in power by voting for the budget.

But NDP leader Andrea Horwath says having an election now would kill the justice committee’s hearings into the cancellations of the gas plants in Oakville and Mississauga, which so far has cost taxpayers $585 million.

Hudak fired away question after question at the premier. “Why aren’t you doing your job as premier? You know what premier? You look the same as the tired, corrupt McGuinty Liberal government. It’s time for change in the province of Ontario.”

However, Wynne held strong to her position. “I’m actually not trying to avoid the issue, because the issue that’s being raised is a personal attack on me, on the leaader of the third party (Horwath), that is fine, that is within his purview if that’s what he chooses to do but I’m not trying to being the leader of the third party in so close that she has to deny what she’s done.”

“But the reality is I believe the people of this province expect us to work together. I believe the people of this province expect the the opposition to read the budget before they vote against it.”

After the confidence vote on the budget is held later today, the legislature will adjourn until September 9th.

CHCH’s Al Sweeney is covering this story and will have the full story tonight.