Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath admits to a $1.4B hole in her spending plan

Ontario New Democratic Party leader Andrea Horwath is admitting to a $1.4 billion error in her campaign's fiscal plan, meaning that if elected, the party would be deeper in the red in its first year than accounted for. 

"It was something that we had to fix and we fixed it," Horwath said on her campaign bus Sunday. 

At the time, she suggested the numbers had been given the seal of approval by economist and former parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page, who now teaches at the University of Ottawa.

Sunday, Page's office acknowledged the error was outside the scope of his review and confirmed there had indeed been an accounting mistake.

"I think the most important thing is that we realized we made a mistake and thought it was important to be honest about that and fixed the mistake," Horwath said, adding that the amount was less than one per cent of the party's "bottom line" and won't affect its priorities.

"The deficit will be a little bigger than expected," she said Sunday, but added they will still be track to reduce deficit spending each year. Balancing the books isn't in the party's five-year plan.

So how does a $700 million misallocation lead to a $1.4 billion hole?

In a statement Sunday, the Ontario Liberals said the gaffe calls into question the NDP's readiness to manage the books and makes its plan "increasingly unrealistic."

Asked by CBC reporter Chris Glover if the error will affect the public's confidence in the party, Horwath responded: 

"I think that's what people expect. People want to have the kind of leadership that isn't afraid to be honest  about making a mistake like this," she said.

"I'm very confident that everything we've talked to Ontarians about in terms of making life better on healthcare and seniors care and for young people and our plans to get hydro plans down — all of things will remain the same."