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The early weeks’ fight with Harper did one thing more. It put a new Liberal idea in the window: the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan — or ORPP. Proposed reluctantly as an alternative to an expanded CPP, the ORPP provided the substance of Wynne’s dispute with a discouraging Harper. But as a flashpoint during the campaign the ORPP never became very heated. That doesn’t mean it didn’t quietly deliver a great deal to the victory. First, the ORPP was opposed by Horwath and, as such, slammed through union ranks like a cement nail. It was a reminder that on an issue vital to organized labour – one that Horwath had campaigned for in 2011 – only Wynne could be counted upon to deliver. Second, it proved resonant with important voting segments. Older voters always skew conservative. Yet, in this campaign, Wynne captured nearly as many retirees as did Hudak. Dig even deeper and you see that the Liberals utterly thrashed the Conservatives among voters aged 35 to 55. How could that with Ontario’s fiscal situation? With the sensitivity that this voting bloc usually exhibits toward taxation? The ORPP was a quiet killer during this election. And it killed Hudak’s growth among the juiciest, most important chunks of the voting public.

Looking forward, the ORPP also promises to be the most notable part of Wynne’s governing agenda. As she moves toward implementation, the gravity-pull of its logic will begin to tug other provinces. Don’t be surprised if a handful of others begin to petition Ontario to join forces and come on board. At that point, pressure begins to build on Ottawa for a national solution in much the same way Medicare and CPP/QPP were foisted upon the feds 50 years ago. Wynne is onto something here. She is on the brink of the most significant reform to Canada’s social safety system in decades. In this, her first few days as an elected-in-her-own-right premier, it’s not ridiculous to imagine this may turn out to be her legacy as a political leader.