Ontario budget 2014: Wynnes impatience extends to Horwath

Premier Kathleen Wynne and Finance Minister Charles Sousa have delivered what can only be described as the best NDP budget Ontarios ever seen from a Liberal government.

And yet, it may not be enough for NDP leader Andrea Horwath though its certainly enough for Wynne, whos clearly prepared to change the budgets cover to a Liberal campaign document and take it to the voters in a general election.

The premier, in a recent speech to her party, preached impatience as "a good thing"for governments.

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She admits shes impatient to get things done transit and infrastructure improvements, a "made in Ontario"pension plan, improvements in education and health care, better pay for daycare and support workers.

A tax on the rich. All issues addressed in some detail or not as the case may be in her governments second budget called: Building Opportunity Securing Our Future.

The our is about the province. But, it could also be, in a sense, about the Liberals.

Put up or shut up

Wynne is convinced the budget provides opportunity for Ontarians and she wants to get going on that agenda.

But, standing in the way is Horwath, since PC leader Tim Hudak has taken himself and his party out of the debate, rejecting the budgets direction as he has in the past two years long before the document was even tabled.

So, Wynnes impatience now extends directly to Horwath.

The premier wrote the NDP leader shortly after the budget was formally unveiled in the Legislature, telling her to, essentially, put up or shutup.

Wynne made it clear to Horwath she wants to proceed now with, among other things, pension reform.

She has given the NDP leader a week (until May 8th) to make up her mind: either it's "yes or no"on the budget and if its no, then an election wont be far behind.

Unlike a year ago, there have been no talks between the two party leaders, though Wynne wants one next week.

Horwath has so far been silent on the letter.

Butthis morning, she will offer up some budget reaction after strangely,even to some members of her own caucus,she took a pass on attending yesterdays budget lock-upwhere dozens of reporters were a captive audience waiting to report even her expected comments that she would need some time to digest the budget. Thisallowedherself to be verbally slammed by Sousa and Hudak who relished saying Horwarth was AWOL,as New Democrats were left to question her strategy, just as they did on her slow response to the governments decision to raise the minimum wage.

So some within her caucus,even with the Dear Andrea letter from Wynne, expect her to do the slow revealon this budget and if past performance is any indication, offer a huffy I wont be intimidated by the premier on the budget or, anything else.

But, whatever Horwath decides and it may well be to force an election over the budget and the gas plants and other spending scandals,the NDP leader already knows labour isnt so sure she should.

UNIFOR the old CAW and CEP unions says the budget deserves NDP support.

(It) makes a difference in the lives of working families, said president Jerry Diaz.

The bottom line is that this is a decent budget.

Diaz like so many others in the Ontario labour movement want the budget to pass to keep the Liberals in power and Hudak out of power.

Disunity in the NDP

Horwaths budget decision already comes with a lot of risk.

But imagine if one of the provinces,the countrys,largest unionsdecided to sit on its hands in the next election or, worst still for Horwath, decided to vote Liberal to ensure Hudak doesnt even get close to getting the keys to the premiers second-floor office in the Legislature.

The NDP caucus united in public is less so in private. Some MPPs complain Horwath has shut them out of budget/election decisions and only quietly smile when asked: if she brings down Wynne and fails to improve NDP fortunes, would she face questions about staying on as leader after the next election?

But, Horwath is a bit of a gambler,convinced that "campaigns matter"and that this one will too and, that she can move out of third place,pushing Hudak there.

Not everyone around her is as convinced that their third-place standing in current polls can change dramatically and worry that instead of increasing seats, the NDP may lose seats, especially in the Toronto area.

So, even with a budget that she could have written, Horwarth may decide for a variety of reasons to turn thumbs down on it andtest the electoral waters.

Then again, she might not.

She may also let us know a little bit more about where shes going later this morning: back to work or, hopping on a bus with her picture emblazoned on its side.

For now, only she knows.