Wynne knows she has a minority,

Now that Kathleen Wynne has won the Liberal leadership, Ontarians can have some confidence that the legislature will soon get back to work — and that the new premier will make an effort to keep it working. Wynne’s emphasis on co-operation with the opposition parties distinguished her in the leadership campaign from front-runner Sandra Pupatello, who spoke less about cooperation and who wanted to win a seat in a byelection before recalling the legislature.

Wynne’s victory suggests that Liberals are starting to realize that they can’t expect to govern as if they have a majority, not with the polls as they are. Stephen Harper’s pattern while in minority of calling the opposition parties’ bluff and forcing them to go along with the government’s agenda is a strategy that’s probably not available to the Ontario Liberals. If they want to govern at all, they’ll have to gain some goodwill — or at least some grudging toleration — from at least one party.

When Dalton McGuinty found himself in his “major minority” last year, the Liberals didn’t seem to grasp how serious a setback and a rebuke that was, and how much it would require them to change. The Tories weren’t very interested in cooperating, and co-operation with the NDP always comes at a price, especially for a government that is at least ostensibly trying to balance the budget. That challenge hasn’t disappeared. If Wynne’s commitment to co-operation manifests as a tendency to barter away necessary reforms and austerity measures, that won’t be good for the party or the province.

The same caution applies to Wynne’s promise to fix the relationship with teachers. It’s good that she recognizes that relationship is broken, and it’s good that she wants to fix it. But the need to balance the budget must remain her paramount concern, and it would be imprudent to try to buy labour peace by extending Ontario’s fiscal troubles.

Despite her best efforts, Wynne might find it even more difficult than McGuinty did to maintain the confidence of the legislature. As more time has passed, the opposition parties will feel more confident forcing an election. In that time, the Liberals, who pride themselves on their education record, managed to lose support among both teachers and parents. Their opportunism in cancelling two gasplant projects became evident, and their reaction to MPPs’ demand for answers was arrogant.

McGuinty’s solution to the problems of minority government seems to have been copied from the prime minister’s: legislature becoming a problem? Prorogue! It would be a mistake for the Ontario Liberals to assume that just because the federal Conservatives got away with it, they will too. For one thing, Tim Hudak’s Progressive Conservatives seem determined to give voters a credible alternative this time around. Andrea Horwath’s been a solid leader for the NDP, too, and her party could be the beneficiary if progressive voters flee the Liberals.

If the election does come soon, it’ll take more than a new leader to convince Ontarians to give the Liberals another chance. Wynne managed to gain the trust of her fellow Liberals, but the Liberals have lost the trust of many voters.

For now, though, Liberals can take comfort in the fact that they’ve given their party, and the government of the province, a fresh start. Wynne seems to have the capacity to become a truly inspiring leader, as demonstrated by her eloquent speech at the convention, in which she handily demolished the cowardly argument that voters might not be “ready” to elect a gay premier, so they shouldn’t be given the option. Ontarians of all political stripes can be proud that their province gave the country this historic first, and that the province finally has its first female premier. As Wynne pointed out, most of the candidates for leader in 2013 would have been considered “unelectable” for one stupid reason or another, not long ago.

Wynne’s speech also included a commitment to “steely” fiscal resolve. Her challenge is to put together a cabinet that can keep the government focused on cutting the deficit, that can put an end to the string of scandals and boondoggles, that can find ways to maintain power without selling out. It won’t be easy.