Kathleen Wynne has started road-testing election messages, but the premier has encountered little gridlock on the campaign trail so far.

While the writs have yet to be dropped, Wynne was on the hustings Monday to tout her minority Liberals’ track record.

Only 69 people attended a hastily arranged speech at the sprawling Columbus Centre that her office had deemed an “important” event.

That tally included two cabinet ministers, two Liberal MPPs, political aides, support staff, her Ontario Provincial Police security detail, and a throng of journalists.

Despite the poor showing at a seniors’ centre that is home to 391 retirees, Wynne insisted she wasn’t worried about attracting crowds in a spring election.

“Wherever we can find people who are interested in our direction, I’m happy to talk about that,” the premier said gamely.

Wynne used her meandering 42-minute speech to attack Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak.

“There will be lots of contrasts‎ that will be made over the coming weeks between the Conservatives and the NDP,” she said at the Lawrence Ave. W. community complex.

The premier said only her party could “chart the middle path,” straddling the need to bolster public services while still gradually paying down a deficit that sat at $11.3 billion in 2013-14.

She warned a Conservative government would slash health care, by “firing nurses,” and education, by “firing teachers,” and scrapping full-day kindergarten.

Seniors in the small crowd applauded warmly when Wynne‎ likened Hudak to his mentor, Mike Harris, the polarizing former Tory premier who ‎governed from 1995 and 2002.

‎Interestingly, the premier did not mention by name NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, whose party has propped up the Liberals for the past two years.

That’s because the Grits still harbour some hope the New Democrats may support Finance Minister Charles Sousa’s budget expected May 1.

Her only criticism ‎levelled at the NDP was that the party has not outlined any vision for governing.

If the New Democrats join the Tories in defeating Sousa’s budget then Ontario would be plunged into a June election.

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Horwath wasn’t tipping her hand on what the NDP would do come budget time — but she criticized Wynne for ducking the daily question period in the legislature.

“It’s unfortunate that she’s decided to hit the campaign trail instead of being here and doing her job as the premier and answering the questions of the opposition,” she said.

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