In hushed conversations, Liberals, Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats appear to agree on one thing.

This time next year https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark.htmlOntarioEND could have its first elected female premier.

And her name is not necessarily Kathleen Wynne.

Privately, MPPs and strategists from all three parties concede that NDP Leader Andrea Horwath has a realistic shot at forming a minority government after an election expected as early as May.

That would see her succeeding Wynne, who was selected as Dalton McGuinty’s replacement by 1,150 Liberal delegates at the party’s January https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/01/26/ontario_liberal_leadership_convention_kathleen_wynne_will_be_next_premier.htmlconventionEND and has yet to face the electorate.

“Depending on the (vote) splits, Horwath could well win this,” warned one Liberal insider, who like others discussing internal party strategy, would not speak for attribution.

“Don’t kid yourself, she might win,” agreed an alarmed Tory MPP, fearful of a reprise of former NDP premier Bob Rae’s tumultuous tenure in office from 1990 to 1995.

New Democrats, while not wanting to jinx themselves by crowing publicly, believe they can triumph and insist their next stint in power would not be Rae redux.

They credit their pragmatic, popular leader from Hamilton with an apparent NDP renaissance.

In a recent interview in her first floor Queen’s Park office, the affable Horwath was coy when asked if her party would vote with Tim Hudak’s Tories to defeat Finance Minister Charles Sousa’s spring budget, triggering an election.

“Through the Christmas break and up until the house resumes (Feb. 18) I’ll be checking in . . . with Ontarians, to get a sense of where people are at. I’ll be taking my cues from them in terms of what’s next,” she said.

Under Horwath, who has doubled the size of her caucus to 20 MPPs since taking the party helm in 2009, the New Democrats have kept the minority Liberals afloat.

In 2012, NDP members abstained from voting for then finance minister Dwight Duncan’s budget — meaning the Tories couldn’t defeat it — in exchange for https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2012/04/23/ontario_budget_mcguinty_agrees_to_horwaths_taxtherich_scheme.htmlconcessionsEND , including a new 2 per cent surtax on those earning $500,000 and more.

Last spring, Horwath was more ambitious, presenting a list of seven demands for support — most notably, a 15 per cent cut in auto insurance, a youth jobs program, and the creation of a new financial accountability office to act as a spending watchdog.

Wynne and Sousa bent over backwards to https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2013/05/08/ontario_budget_2013_ndp_leader_andrea_horwath_demands_more_in_exchange_for_supporting_liberals.htmlappeaseEND her and New Democrats actually stood up and voted in favour of the Liberal budget.

For Horwath, who polls suggest has the highest personal approval rating of the party leaders, the NDP’s influence on that spending plan served as an audition of sorts for voters.

“In this minority parliament, we’ve been able to show Ontarians what our focus is, which is making life better for people in practical ways and that we do have ideas about that and that we can deliver,” said the 51-year-old single mother of a college-age son.

“So when they think about who they might look at as a possible replacement for the current government, I think New Democrats have shown that they’re up to the job.”

Indeed, Horwath said her party plans to campaign on its accomplishments in the Liberal budgets in the next election.

“Do I see this as a training phase or whatever it is? We’re going to be able to run on a record of achievements, or at the very least a record that clearly shows where our priorities have been and what people can expect if we were to form a government,” the NDP leader said.

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“Let’s face it, we could have done what Mr. Hudak decided to do,” she said dismissively of the PC leader.

“We could have just stood on the sidelines, made a lot of noise, a lot of screaming and shouting, and played a lot of political games and not really get anything done,” said Horwath.

“We decided to be more proactive. We have to be practical, we have to be thoughtful, we have to be prudent, and, most of all, we have to be respectful of the public purse.”

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