Kathleen Wynne's Liberals calling out NDP's 'major math mistake'

Victoria Day fireworks displays are being prepped in cities across the province, but sparks are already flying on the campaign trail this holiday Monday. 

Both Liberal leader Kathleen Wynne and PC leader Doug Ford are taking aim at NDP leader Andrea Horwath for a mistake in her campaign's fiscal plan, as well as social media comments made by her Mississauga-Centre candidate.

Here's where we are on day 13:

Latest from the campaign ​​

• Liberals target 'fiscal mistakes' made by NDP as Ontario campaign heats up
  • The Liberals spoke at an event Monday morning to highlight what they call the "numerous fiscal mistakes" contained in the NDP platform. Horwath admitted to an accounting error that added $1.4 billion to her party's annual deficit projections, but she's standing by the ideas in her party's platform. 

• Increase in Indigenous candidates in Ontario election

  • ​Indigenous politicians are lending their voice to Ontario's provincial elections, but some are saying they can't be pigeonholed into party platforms. Only one candidate identifying as Indigenous has ever been elected provincially.

• With NDP momentum building, Horwath looks to conquer a Liberal stronghold in Ottawa

  • ​An analysis piece by CBC's Joanne Chianello looks at the NDP's newfound confidence that it will take more eastern Ontario ridings this election. The NDP hasn't had an MPP in Ottawa for 23 years. 

The moment

Wynne: "This is a big mistake the NDP made in their platform"

7 years ago

Duration 0:55

Liberal leader Kathleen Wynne responds to reporter questions about the NDP's error in the campaign's fiscal plan.

"It's a big mistake that the NDP made in their platform." 

That was liberal leader Kathleen Wynne's response to a reporter's question about the NDP's annual costing mistake in their platform. 

"A big mistake like this, which is nearly a billion and a half a year over the course of the plan, changes everything about what the NDP plan says and what is possible." Wynne told reporters at a Mexican restaurant on Monday morning. 

On Sunday, Horwath responded to the error while travelling on her campaign bus.

"It was something that we had to fix and we fixed it."

The Liberal MPP candidate for Mississauga-Lakeshore Charles Sousa, who served as Ontario's finance minister since 2013, added to the fire by calling it the "NDP's major math mistake."

"They made a basic error in math, they subtracted a number they should have added," Sousa told reporters Monday morning. 

"Now it falls to them to present the people of Ontario with a transparent fix before we go to the polls." 

Noted

For the second time in recent days, Horwath is coming to the defence of one of her party's candidates.

Laura Kaminker, the NDP's candidate in Mississauga Centre, is under fire for comments she made online a few years ago stating wearing a poppy is a "glorification of war." 

A reporter questioned Horwath about it while in Kingston on Sunday.

"Those are certainly not values I share, but freedom of speech is a principle that we all, I think, value," Horwath said. 

"I can't say that it is something I agree with, but I'm sure this person agrees with us on all pieces of our platform that make life better for people."

Kaminker's comments have received some blow back on social media.

Ford's PC party released a statement saying "Horwath needs to take responsibility for her anti-poppy NDP candidate."

Earlier this week. Horwath accepted the apology of NDP Kenora-Rainy River candidate Glen Archer for a Facebook post where he wrote Kathleen Wynne "should be in prison" as she was "blowing taxpayer's money."

Riding to Watch

York-Simcoe, population 104,015, profile by Lucas Powers

York-Simcoe is where commuter country meets cottage country. The riding, with a relatively high median family income, has been firmly Tory since it was first contested in 2007.

On election night, politicos will be looking to see if Caroline Mulroney, one of the PC's most high-profile candidates, can maintain Tory control. The Toronto lawyer and businesswoman secured the nomination long before she ran unsuccessfully to lead the party. But it's clear the political scion has big aspirations, and this will be her first big test.

Mulroney's father, former prime minister Brian Mulroney, has helped her campaign. So has Tory MP Peter Van Loan, who represents the riding federally. With all that attention, the pressure is on Mulroney to keep York-Simcoe blue.

Loralea Carruthers is running for the Liberals, while Dave Szollosy is running beneath the NDP banner.

Where the leaders are

Ford: Tour of bakery in Nobleton (1:30 p.m.), Visit Nobleton Fair (2 p.m.), 
Horwath: Event in Brampton (2 p.m.)
Schreiner: Meeting voters in Guelph (9:30 a.m.), Lunch at Guelph Drop-in Centre (12 p.m.)
Wynne: Announcement in Toronto (9:15 p.m.), Delivers remarks at annual community Iftar dinner (8 p.m.) 

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