Wynne touts stability ahead of possible spring election

The Ontario Liberals are selling the message that the current government is a safe, steady choice for the province.

That's the message Premier Kathleen Wynne is sendingahead of a weekend Liberal convention in Toronto, and a possible spring election.

"Safe hands and a steady balance," was the phrase she used atthe party's big fundraiser, a part of the Ontario Liberal General Annual Meeting.Wynne says Ontario can't afford to experiment withright-leaning Tory policies or the untested NDP when it's economicrecovery is still fragile.

She says her party also won't jeopardize public services withmassive cuts to balance the books, like the federal Conservatives.

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"It will be a choice between my safe hands and their recklessschemes," Wynne said in her speech.

Her words echo those of her predecessor Dalton McGuinty, whosesuccess was largely attributed to his ability to dominate the centreand push everyone else off.

But the Liberals will first have to give a crash course inelection campaigning to the estimated 1,000 party delegatesattending their annual general meeting in Toronto this weekend.

They'll talk to the party's generals about their plans for thenext election battle, as well as consultations on the party'splatform.

On Friday and Saturday, delegates will get training for taskssuch as planning for election day, fundraising effectively,communications, organizing and recruiting volunteers and ruralcampaign strategies.

The Liberals may need a lot of help on that front, having workedsince Wynne took over a year ago to counter the perception thatthey're too Toronto-centric.

The proposed selloff of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission and the government's glacial pace in developing the potentially lucrative Ring of Fire chromite deposit has angered voters in northern Ontario.

Closures, layoffs and cuts

Closed factories, layoffs at embattled BlackBerry, government cuts to the horse-racing industry and anger over wind turbines have also fuelled discontent in the south.

Wynne's determination to find billions of dollars to pay for a massive public transit expansion in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area hasn't helped either, raising fears in small communities that the much-needed cash for bridges and roads will be diverted to subways they don't use.

They're also facing troubles in urban ridings, with the New Democrats breaking Liberal strongholds in Niagara Falls and London West.

But Wynne and the Liberals can't wash her hands of the scandals at Ornge and the costly cancellation of gas plants in Mississauga and Oakville when she was sitting at the cabinet table at the time, said Progressive Conservative Vic Fedeli.

"This is a government that's plagued by scandal, brought on by themselves," he said.