Premier Kathleen Wynne insists her Liberals “will not be held hostage to a list” of New Democratic demands even as she ups the ante to secure NDP Leader Andrea Horwath’s backing for the budget.

Desperate to avoid a snap spring election, the minority government is crafting a May 2 budget designed to appease Horwath.

The Grits hope adopting some NDP policies will ensure the New Democrats don’t join Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak in defeating the government.

On Tuesday, Wynne, Finance Minister Charles Sousa and Health Minister Deb Matthews tried to meet a key NDP demand by announcing $260 million in additional funding for home-care services.

But Horwath remained unimpressed, which infuriated the premier.

“This is not a political game. This is not a ping-pong game about ‘you put out a policy and I’ll put out a policy, and we’ll see which one we can fight about and where we land,’ ” Wynne scolded her rival. “We will not be held hostage to a list, an arbitrary list.

“It’s not that it’s a Liberal budget, it’s not that it’s an NDP budget, or it’s a Conservative budget. It’s the right budget for the people of Ontario,” the premier said.

Horwath, who told reporters she was taken aback by Wynne’s “arrogance,” said it’s about delivering for Ontarians, not the NDP.

“People have told us that they’re looking for change — simple, affordable change — that makes their lives better,” Horwath said. “They’ve been promised it over and over again but constantly find that they’re being asked to pay more and expect less from their government.

“New Democrats have been clear since the throne speech. If we are going to support a budget, it has to create jobs, strengthen health care and make life more affordable for Ontarians,” she added.

The NDP would also like to see corporate tax loopholes closed, car insurance rates slashed 15 per cent, and new measures to help reduce youth unemployment.

Hudak, for his part, said an election is needed so a new government can get Ontario out of the ditch.

With a $9.8-billion deficit in 2012-13, the Tory leader said it’s time for a change.

“Under the (Dalton) McGuinty and Wynne Liberals, government spending has gone up by 70 per cent,” he said.

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“It’s a remarkable and reckless increase in spending. We still have a massive deficit. If you actually freeze spending today, if you don’t increase spending overall, you can balance the budget within two years.”

While Hudak said he would get the province back in the black by 2016-17, the Liberals maintain the red ink will continue until 2017-18.

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