Following the 2011 provincial election, Tim Hudak’s Progressive Conservatives refused to co-operate with the minority Liberal government and for the most part followed through on this.
It was a point of principle for Hudak that many will have respected.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath took a different course, bargaining hard with both the McGuinty and Wynne administrations over the 2012 and 2013 provincial budgets. She was highly successful in converting NDP policy initiatives into government programs and spending commitments.
Horwath’s willingness to negotiate with the Liberals was criticized by those on her political left and right. But the spotlight she received in the course of knife-edge, pre-budget negotiations helped build her profile as party leader.
To some degree, that profile has made Horwath a contender in the current June 12 election campaign. She is a force to be reckoned with, and is not taken lightly by either the PC’s or Liberals. She could become the premier and would probably do the job reasonably well. She has proven that she will not be pushed around by the labour movement.
Contrary to what might have been expected though, the NDP leader has not looked for any credit for her budget breakthroughs. Instead, she’s taken the view that the Liberals haven’t delivered on some of the promises made to her in the 2013 budget, including a cut in auto insurance rates, reducing home-care wait times, and setting up a Financial Accountability Office.
The Liberals maintain they have followed through on their commitments. In the spirit of measuring outcomes, and to give due credit to both Horwath and the Wynne government, here’s what the Liberal–NDP commitments scorecard looked like at close of play:
1. The NDP proposed a 15-per-cent auto insurance rate reduction.
In August 2013, the government announced a 15-per-cent reduction target over two years, with 8 per cent to be accomplished in the first year. Rates have since dropped by 5.67 per cent. The government reported it was on-track to meet the initial 8-per-cent target.
Liberals say that the NDP blocked two bills designed to accelerate rate reductions by tackling auto-insurance fraud and tightening up the regulation of the towing and vehicle storage industries.
2. There was an NDP proposal for a five-day home-care guarantee by investing $30 million. Observers said from the outset that it was unrealistic to assume a five-day wait time could be achieved for $30 million.
The Liberals went further by making more patients eligible for home care and announcing an increase of $260 million in 2013-2014 (6 per cent) to home care and community services. Fifty per cent of LHINs are reported to be now meeting the five-day wait guarantee. So call this one halfway there.
3. The NDP wanted to target youth unemployment with $195 million for a youth jobs plan that will create 25,000 jobs. This was launched with a $295 million two-year youth jobs plan. $195 million of this was specifically dedicated to the wage subsidies proposed by the NDP. The Liberals say 11,500 jobs for youth have been created so far and 84 per cent of these young people are being retained by the employer or have found another job in their field.
4. Horwath asked that social assistance recipients be allowed to keep 100 per cent of the first $200 they earn each month. This one was accepted and has been implemented.
5. The Liberals agreed with an NDP proposal to permanently restrict HST input tax credits. But this required federal approval, which was denied by the federal finance minister.
6. The NDP and Liberals agreed that it was important to increase corporate tax compliance. A new deal reached with the federal government is expected to generate more than $300 million in tax revenues over the next four years.
7. The NDP wanted to eliminate the EHT exemption for businesses with more than $5 million of payroll. Legislation to implement this was passed in December 2013 and the exemptions took effect on January 1, 2014.
8. The NDP proposal for a Financial Accountability Office made sense in view of the spending issues dominating at Queen’s Park, but also in the interest of good public administration. Legislation creating the new office was approved in September 2013. But Horwath cited a delay in hiring a new Financial Accountability Officer as one of the reasons for triggering an election. The Liberals say the NDP blocked the hiring process. This one was messy.
9. The NDP also sought the creation of a patient ombudsman with oversight of the health-care system and wanted restrictions on public sector executive pay. These were accepted and slated for implementation as part of the 2014 budget.
On the face of it, Andrea Horwath seems to have made a fair amount of progress in achieving what she asked for, especially given that the clock was stopped. On the other hand the Liberals had the benefit of another year in office and additional breathing space for Kathleen Wynne to revitalize her party. The end result is that both leaders have a much better shot at the title than they would have had a year ago.

Dean: 2013 budget bargaining gives Horwath lift in campaign

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