Wynne, Horwath downplay election talk after Tory, NDP byelection wins

Premier Kathleen Wynne is in no hurry for a spring election after the Liberals lost big in byelections in Niagara Falls and Thornhill on Thursday.

Wynne says she doesn't know when there will be a general election, and insists  the Liberals will stick with the plan to introduce a budget this spring and keep the minority government alive.

"Whatever has happened in these byelections is not reflective of what’s going to happen in the general election," Wynne said, remaining rather defiant that people "cannot extrapolate" future results based on last night's votes. 

Wynne added that she doubted many showed an interest in watching the results Thursday night and when she woke up she was still premier. 

Despite the NDP's big win in Niagara Falls, leader Andrea Horwath still won't say if she'll stop supporting the minority government and trigger a spring election.

Horwath says the byelection results sent a clear message that people are not happy with the Liberals, but adds she is not focused on a possible election.

"Families are worried about jobs, the cost of daily life and their health care system." Horwath said. "They hear the same old ideas coming from the same old parties and they know it’s time for a change."

Meanwhile, Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak blames "union elites" for his party's loss to the New Democrats in Niagara Falls, which had been Liberal for a decade.

Hudak says the Tories were in a "David and Goliath" battle against hundreds of paid union activists who flooded Niagara Falls in support of the NDP.

He says the Conservatives would have taken the riding if it had been a level playing field.