The federal election campaign is no longer blocking a face-to-face battle between Premier Kathleen Wynne and rival PC Leader Patrick Brown when the legislature returns from its summer break.

Wynne has abruptly reversed her repeated refusals to hold an Orillia-area byelection until after the Oct. 19 federal vote and is pledging to send provincial voters in Simcoe North to the polls Sept. 3.

The move came after Brown and retiring Simcoe North MPP Garfield Dunlop, whose resignation took effect Saturday, accused her of playing “political games” by delaying the byelection call.

“I always said I was open to going quickly,” Wynne told the Star on Sunday, noting she was concerned voters would be confused by overlapping federal and provincial campaigns with a flurry of lawn signs and flyers.

But that changed when Brown and the Progressive Conservatives kept insisting a federal election didn’t matter.

“He’ll have to explain to the people of Simcoe North why he thought it was fine to do it during a federal writ period,” said Wynne.

She pledged to call the vote Wednesday so the byelection can be held in time for Brown — assuming he wins in what is considered to be a PC-friendly riding — to be in question period when MPPs come back Sept. 14.

Brown was pleased that Wynne kept her promise, made in May, to call a byelection as soon as possible once he found a riding in which to run.

“I appreciate Premier Wynne willing to do the right thing. The people of Simcoe North deserve immediate representation,” Brown, who won’t get a paycheque from taxpayers until he wins a seat, said in a statement.

Brown has signalled he wants to hold Wynne’s feet to the fire over troublesome teacher union negotiations (which could lead to school strikes this fall) the deteriorating economy and rising electricity prices.

But his efforts could be overshadowed by the federal campaign, which will be entering its final five and most crucial weeks as the legislature resumes.

Having Brown in the legislature sooner rather than later also avoids giving him more of a spotlight had the byelection been held in late November.

Wynne said those scenarios were not a factor in her decision because she’s “eager” to debate Brown, a former MP for Barrie in the Harper government.

“He opposes the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan with Stephen Harper, he opposes our climate change initiatives,” Wynne said.

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“The fact that he doesn’t want to update a sex ed curriculum that hasn’t been updated since 1998 suggests to me that he’s rooted in another century and we’re moving ahead.”

The Liberals should have a candidate to run against Brown “pretty quickly,” said Wynne.

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