Premier Kathleen Wynne is bracing for a cold dose of reality from voters on a hot August night.

“Byelections are unpredictable. They’re tough for government,” Wynne said Monday in her first public comments since calling the Aug. 1 votes in Etobicoke—Lakeshore, Scarborough—Guildwood, Ottawa South, London West, and Windsor—Tecumseh.

The premier said the five byelections offer voters the opportunity to send the government a message without upsetting the apple cart.

“There’s no way whatever happens in these byelections that there will be a Conservative or an NDP government so it’s a pretty risk-free way for people in ridings to send a message to government about upping a game,” she said.

“They’re tough local fights.”

But Wynne, who has returned to Queen’s Park after two weeks off, is mindful the five byelections in long-held Liberal ridings are her first electoral test since succeeding Dalton McGuinty five months ago.

“Has that been a honeymoon, what I’ve been on?” she joked.

“I’ve heard it clearly that Ontarians want good management, better management of their tax dollars. That’s what the whole discussion about the gas plants in Oakville and Mississauga have been about,” said the premier, referring to the Liberals’ $585-million power-plant cancellation debacle.

“They want a sharper focus on jobs than on austerity.”

Advance polls in the rare mid-summer contests open this weekend. Check Elections Ontario’s byelection website for details.

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak is hoping Doug Holyday can ride a wave of voter discontent — and desire for new subways — to victory in Etobicoke—Lakeshore.

Hudak campaigned with Holyday, Toronto’s penny-pinching deputy mayor, promising to build subways and avoid debacles like the gas-plant cancellations.

“We need a government with people like Doug Holyday that know how to stretch a dollar, that respect the taxpayer and can make sure we are investing in priorities like subways and not wasting it on cancelling gas plants or giveaways to the government unions that we simply can’t afford,” he told reporters outside the Kipling subway station Monday.

Hudak, a member of the Mike Harris administration that cancelled the Eglinton subway in 1995, said Toronto needs a government committed to building underground.

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“That’s why our plan includes uploading the TTC subways and LRT (light rail transit) to link in with go so the province runs the show so you don’t have the different governments arguing all the time and getting nothing done,” he said, adding only the Tories provide a real alternative to the Liberals and New Democrats.

“If you can’t find 1.5 cents on every dollar you spend provincially to fund subways you have no business being in government.”

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