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“I understand that there’s an ideology on the part of the NDP that says that the private sector is inherently not a good thing. I don’t adhere to that.”

Numerous polls have shown lagging support for Wynne and the Liberals contrasted with building momentum for NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and her party.

One observer said the sudden shift in strategy is a logical response to the polls, but may suggest the Liberals now see themselves coming in third on June 7.

“It’s natural for the Liberals to shift at least part of their attention to the party that’s lapping them,” said Andrea Perrella, director of the Laurier Institute for the Study of Public Opinion and Policy.

The Liberals may initially have been reluctant to burn bridges with the NDP in case they won a minority and needed support, but may now fear they won’t form the official Opposition, he said.

At the same time, while the NDP appears to be gaining public support, it’s hard to see the party making inroads in cottage country or the Toronto suburbs, Perrella said. The party’s best strategy is likely to recruit new voters, he said.

Wynne denied feeling threatened by the New Democrats’ apparent gains in popularity, or by the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario’s endorsement of the party, saying the union’s backing does not mean teachers themselves will vote that way.

“We haven’t always had, as a party, the full support of all of the unions or the federations … and individual teachers make their decisions on a riding by riding basis,” she said.