Both NDP, Liberals downplay coalition

At campaign events on Sunday, both Ontario’s Liberal premier and the leader of the New Democratic Party refused to commit to the possibility of joining forces to form a coalition government should the Progressive Conservatives win a minority in the upcoming election.

Premier Kathleen Wynne told supporters in Toronto’s north end that in spite of “a lot of overlap” between the two par- ties, she would hesitate to join forces with the New Democrats because their business taxes would make the province less competitive for trade, she said.

“We’re in Day 5 of the (30-day) campaign,” Wynne said. “I’m not going to pre-empt the result of the election.”

At a campaign event in east Toronto, NDP leader Andrea Horwath maintained that her party could win a majority of seats, but indicated that if things go another way, she would be unwilling to join forces with the Liberals.

“I’m not going to work with any party that wants to roll back corporate taxes, or that wants to make it harder for everyday families,” Horwath said.

But like Wynne, Horwath also said it’s impossible to say anything definitive at this point.

“We’re going to wait until June 7 before we make any de- cisions,” she said. The comments came as the New Democrats are gaining traction in the polls, with some suggesting Horwath will be the top challenger to Doug Ford’s poll-leading PCs.