TORONTO

The Ontario Liberal government seems determined to “bribe” Toronto into accepting a casino, PC Leader Tim Hudak says.

As reports surface that the city might be enticed with a $100-million annual hosting fee, Hudak said Premier Kathleen Wynne should show her cards.

“I hope that the premier will be clear exactly how much the bribe payment’s going to be to take on new casinos in our province,” Hudak said Monday. “I come from Niagara so being against casinos would be like being against wine and waterfalls so it’s not where I come from. But you have to have a very balanced and clear approach to this and I think that we should treat all municipalities the same across the province.

“I don’t think you should be picking winners and losers,” Hudak said.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath also called for transparency from the Ontario government, which ordered the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) to rewrite the hosting formula after concerns were raised that Toronto would get a far larger pot than other communities that welcome a casino.

“The government says it’s not offering a special deal to Toronto — then it appears it is,” Horwath said.

“I wish the premier would just come clean and let Ontarians know whether Toronto’s getting a special deal or they’re not,” she said.

Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa, who is responsible for oversight of the OLG, said he’s currently reviewing new revenue-sharing formulas proposed by the OLG, but couldn’t say if they would be before Toronto council when it considers this issue.

Sousa accused Hudak of “fearmongering” by suggesting the government is prepared to offer Toronto a bribe to take a casino.

“That’s exactly what we’re not trying to do. We’re trying to be fair to all municipalities,” Sousa said.