ABOVE: Would Wynne, Horwath look to topple a potential Hudak minority government? Global’s Alan Carter takes a look at that possibility.
TORONTO – Kathleen Wynne wouldn’t rule out a coalition with either opposition party in order to stay in power if the Liberals don’t win a plurality on June 12.
She repeatedly sidestepped the question Wednesday morning during a press conference at a Toronto-area school, saying only that she will work “within a minority parliament.”
“I’m not going to pre-empt the decision of the people of Ontario, they will make their decision on June 12 and we will work within those parameters,” she said.
After an election, the premier goes to the Lieutenant Governor and usually offers to resign as premier and make way for the new government if their particular party doesn’t have a plurality of seats. But the premier can also seek a coalition with support from an opposition party.
In Depth: Ontario Election 2014
Wynne refused to say whether she would attempt a coalition in order to remain as premier of Ontario.
“If we are returned to Queens’ Park in a minority situation, will I try to govern? I will do exactly what I have done for the last year and a bit, I will work to govern the province in the context of that minority parliament,” she said.
Watch: Wynne refuses to give a direct answer to repeated questions on whether she’d support a coalition
NDP leader Andrea Horwath too decided not to say whether she’d support a coalition, despite having called the Liberals corrupt several times in recent days.
“I’m going to wait until June 12, until the people of this province make a decision about what kind of government they want and regardless of what decision they make it’ll be the right decision… and we’ll deal with that outcome once it’s upon us,” she said.
The Progressive Conservatives wouldn’t answer the question, instead saying they are “focused on implementing our Million Jobs Plan.”
Coalitions are commonly used in several European nations but are a controversial issue in Canada. Prime Minister Stephen Harper prorogued parliament in 2008 after a proposed Liberal-NDP coalition (supported by the Bloc-Quebecois) threatened to topple his Conservative government.
But Ontario has had a coalition government before. In 1985, a Liberal-NDP coalition of Liberal leader David Peterson and NDP leader Bob Rae replaced the Tory government of Frank Miller.
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