CityVote Day 21: Jobs, taxes put McGuinty on defensive as Ont. leaders face off in debate

Jobs, taxes and a last-minute plan to move a controversial power plant had Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty on the defensive in Tuesday’s leaders debate as his opponents took turns attacking him for what they say is a terrible record.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath was by far the most aggressive, interjecting regularly to get her point across or correct the record when the others attacked her party.

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak says Liberals have only created low-wage jobs and graduating students can’t find work, with McGuinty countering that the province’s economy is in fact faring well.

Hudak also attacked McGuinty’s plan to stop construction on a power plant in Mississauga two weeks before the vote, with Horwath chiming in that the move was motivated by the election.

Hudak didn’t escape criticism, however, with McGuinty telling him he wasn’t comfortable with his attitude towards “foreigners.”

Hudak used the term early in the campaign when speaking about a Liberal plan to give tax breaks to companies that hire professional immigrants.

“Dalton, you know that’s not true,” said Hudak, claiming he only used that term because it was the way the Liberals initially described it.

“I know you want to say anything not to talk about your record.”

The Liberals have a jobs plan largely focused around green energy that’s working, McGuinty said, adding that it’s the Tories who would kill thousands of jobs by scrapping a contract with Korean giant Samsung.

“I’m not saying that it’s all sunshine and apple pie,” said McGuinty, whose calm and steady manner made him appear muted in comparison to the impassioned Horwath and Hudak.

Hudak dismissed the green jobs as “nothing but a shell game” which is simply driving up electricity bills.”

“Your jobs plan has been a failure,” Hudak said.

Horwath, who like Hudak spoke often about the people she has met and the places she’s visited during the campaign, told McGuinty that stats about job creation meant nothing to the people of Ontario who “feel like you have ignored them for the last eight years.”

“During that recession what you decided to do was hit people with an unfair tax that made things harder,” she said.

McGuinty defended his tax record — he has brought in both a health tax and the HST despite promising no new taxes — saying he would not raise taxes this time around and Hudak should “stop saying” that he would.

“With all due respect, sir, nobody believes you anymore,” Hudak replied.

The 90-minute televised faceoff was the only chance for voters to see the leaders of the three main parties at the same time before the Oct. 6 vote.

The debate was the first one for rookies Horwath and Hudak, and was particularly important for the two opposition leaders because it was their chance to introduce themselves to many voters just tuning in.

Both opposition leaders also made sure to speak about their families, with Hudak mentioning his daughter Miller several times, as he stayed true to his campaign strategy to present himself as a family man who understands the struggles of everyday Ontarians.

But the Tory leader made the fewer references to his platform promises than his opponents.

The latest polls suggest the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives are in a virtual dead heat, creating the potential for a minority government with the NDP playing king maker.

Hudak and Horwath already faced off last week, in a northern issues debate which McGuinty declined to participate in.

Horwath couldn’t resist taking a shot at McGuinty over missing the debate, offering the premier a geography lesson when speaking about a man she met in Dubreuilville.

“Don’t know if you know where Dubreuilville is,” she said. “It’s near Wawa.”