Premier Kathleen Wynne stressed her desire to work with the opposition again on Wednesday, despite the release of another attack on the Liberal leader.
Speaking to reporters before the legislature resumed sitting for the first time in four months, Wynne said she was disappointed that the Progressive Conservatives have decided not to work with the minority Liberal government.
“Even if the Conservatives don’t want to work with us, this reality is that there are people across the province who are concerned about fiscal responsibility, who are concerned about economic growth and job creation, and I believe that those are priorities that are, or should be, top of mind of for all of us,” Wynne told reporters at Queen’s Park.
Hours before Wynne first throne speech, the Tories released a new attack ad claiming the new Liberal leader was directly involved in the decision to cancel gas plants in Oakville and Mississauga, a move that cost taxpayers an estimated $230 million.
At the first possible opportunity the PC party said it will also file a motion of contempt against former energy minister Chris Bentley for his handling of the release of documents regarding the government’s decision to scrap the plants.
“I’ve offered a different path, they’ve chosen this path,” Wynne said. “My hope would have been that we could have moved on to talk about the root of the issue, and I have said all along as questions come forward about the gas plant, to make sure all that information is available.”
In her throne speech, delivered by Lt. Gov. David Onley on Tuesday afternoon, Wynne vowed find common ground with the opposition in the legislature, and with the people of Ontario.
“It’s common ground between urban people and rural. Between people who work in the agriculture food industry and people who work in the auto sector. It’s finding that common ground across all the endeavors in the province.”
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said her party will vote in favour of the throne speech, which saves the Wynne government for now. However, Horwath put Wynne on notice that she expects to see more of the proposals she recently set out for the government in the upcoming budget, or it will not get NDP support.
In contrast, Conservative Leader Tim Hudak said his party cannot support the throne speech as it didn’t contain the priorities that will put the provincial economy back on track.
