Watson worried Hudak won't commit to uploading deal

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and other municipal leadersin Ontario expressed concern Ontario PC leader Tim Hudak will not honour a $1.5 billion uploading agreement between the province and the municipalities if elected.

Hudak, speaking at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference in London, Ont., on Tuesday, said he would honour the $1 billion in costs the province has already committed to so far, but said he would be reviewing the rest of the commitment.

The province and the AMO struck a 10-year-agreement in 2008 to upload $1.5-billion worth of social programs.

Ottawa mayor Jim Watson, who was municipal affairs minister when the deal was signed, said cutting the agreement would cost the City of Ottawamore than$35 million between now and 2018.

"If Mr. Hudak wins the election and reneges on that promise it will not only set back relations to the days when we had to deal with downloading but it will also mean a serious financial challenge for all 440 municipalities in Ontario," said Watson.

Watson said both Premier Dalton McGuinty and New Democratic Party leader Andrea Horwath committed to maintaining the uploading agreement.

Hudak's comments prompted a Twitter war between Watson and PC MPP Lisa MacLeod, who represents Nepean-Carleton, with MacLeod accusing Watson of actively campaigning for his old party, the Ontario Liberals, and Watson chastising MacLeod for defending the "failed policy" of provincial downloading.

Hudak said during his speech he would fix an arbitration system he called broken and provide more local decision-making powers.