Finance Minister Charles Sousa‎ is set to table a May 1 budget that cuts hydro rates, possibly boosts funding for in vitro fertilization, and earmarks $2.5 billion to attract business to Ontario, confidential documents reveal.

Insiders leaked to the Progressive Conservatives an 11-page “communication rollout”‎ that shows at least $5.7 billion in new spending in the fiscal blueprint.

Premier Kathleen Wynne put on a brave face despite being forced back to the drawing board on promoting a budget designed to serve as the minority Liberals’ re-election platform.

“Do we have a communications plan? Absolutely. It’s unfortunate that those confidential plans may have been released, but the substance is exactly what I have said we are going to do,” the premier said, refusing to confirm specific proposals in the document.

“The people of Ontario would be shocked if I said: ‘No, the Ministry of Finance officials are not involved in preparing a budget.’”

Conservative Leader Tim Hudak, who said the secret communications effort is known inside the Ministry of Finance as the “Budget Leaking Team — or BLT,” said it’s no surprise public servants cried foul by leaking the scheme to his party.

“Civil servants are outraged by this abuse of their job. The Liberal party is basically drafting all of the public service and putting them to work as Liberal staffers. That’s an extraordinary abuse of taxpayers’ dollars,” said Hudak.

It is a blow to the Liberals’ communications effort, but Sousa denied knowledge “of any leaking team,” noting the Grits are just doing what all governments do by ensuring the budget is publicized.

“What we have is a communications rollout that speaks to the information that we are preparing,” said the treasurer.

“I recognize that people want me to express anger and express disappointment,” he said of the breach.

While some Liberals insisted they weren’t unhappy about the leak — it deflects attention from the gas plants scandal — the Tories have derailed a month of government public relations that may mean a slew of news conferences and speeches have to be revised.

On Thursday, for example, in an address to the Canadian Club, Sousa is supposed to reveal a revised deficit figure for this year, the documents say.

It will be lower than the current $11.7 billion shortfall, although that’s not specified in the “confidential advice to cabinet.”

According to the documents:

Next week Sousa and Education Minister Liz Sandals will announce $35 million for school nutrition programs.

On April 9, the Liberals are to tout $85 million over three years for in vitro fertilization — if the policy gets the green light, which it has not yet done.

The next day, the government plans to announce $300 million for front-line services to help low-income workers.

On April 11, $730 million over three years will be earmarked to tackle waiting lists for developmental services.

Wynne’s transit-funding plan is due April 14 but the internal document says little about the details.

Construction of a new 17.8-km, four-lane freeway from Highway 85 in Kitchener-Waterloo to Highway 6 in Guelph will be touted on April 17. It would be completed by 2020-21.

On April 22, the Liberals will announce an increase or an indexing of the Ontario Child Benefit, which currently gives $1,200 a year to 530,000 low-income families.

On April 23, a scheme to eliminate the debt-retirement charge for residential electricity ‎customers, which would reduce hydro bills, will be unveiled by Wynne and Sousa. It would take effect Jan. 1, 2016, saving homeowners around $100 a year.

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On April 28, the Liberals will do a major “corporate welfare” announcement with unspecified funding to “Osprey.” As well, Sysco Canada will get $3.5 million toward a new distribution centre in Woodstock.

On April 29, a new $2.5 billion Jobs and Prosperity Fund to attract “significant investments” to Ontario will be launched to dispense $250 million a year over the next decade to businesses creating jobs.

With files from Rob Ferguson

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