Is there a case of mistaken identity at the Legislature? Are the governing Liberals seeing double as they languish in the polls leading to the Oct. 6 election?

Environment Minister John Wilkinson dubbed NDP Leader Andrea Horwath “the new Mike Harris of Ontario politics” during a Wednesday news conference touting Liberal achievements such as bans on lawn pesticides and hand-held cellphones in cars.

For two years, the Liberals have been branding Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak as the new Mike Harris, who as premier in 1995 slashed welfare rates 20 per cent along with spending and taxes.

But Wilkinson said Horwath’s platform doesn’t go far enough on reducing poverty and environmental problems. Veteran New Democrat MPP Peter Kormos (Welland) called the Harris comparison ridiculous.

“It’s not offensive, it’s just silly,” said Kormos, who is not running in the fall election despite hopes the party will win more seats following the federal NDP breakthrough in the May 2 federal vote.

“I’m pleased that the Liberals clearly have been attacking the New Democrats. I think that’s a strong indication of what their poll numbers say about who’s on the ascendancy and who’s suffering slippage.”

The Liberals have taunted Tories by making buttons featuring slogans like “Who’s Your Daddy” with Harris as Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers movies and Hudak as Mini-Me. Another uses the Dr. Seuss-like rhyme “Tim is Him” with a photo of a worshipful Hudak gazing admiringly at Harris.

Conservative MPP Steve Clark (Leeds-Grenville) said the remarks from Wilkinson, whom he dubbed the “tax minister” for defending the controversial 13 per cent HST, show the Liberals feel their backs are to the wall.

“He’s going to try to paint Andrea and Tim into whatever corner that’s going to stick.”

Wilkinson wasn’t the only Liberal to be accused of putting his foot in his mouth Wednesday.

Metroland news reported that Research and Innovation Minister Glen Murray recently told a crowd at an Ajax aerospace company, which received a $1.9 million grant to create five jobs and protect 500, where the cash came.

“Money is coming back to you today and we have to raise taxes to do that,” he said at the Messier-Dowty plant that makes landing gear.

A Liberal spinmeister did the rounds flagging the story to reporters, insisting in a pre-emptive strike that Murray — who was forced to apologize last fall for intemperate Tweets accusing Hudak of being anti-gay — said “raise taxes” in the sense of collecting them.

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But with Liberals under fire from both opposition parties for the 2004 health tax of up to $900 per person, along with the HST and rising hydro prices, there’s little doubt Liberal campaign honchos are concerned Murray’s words will be used against them on the hustings.

Tory pre-election ads are calling Premier Dalton McGuinty the “tax man,” even though Hudak and Horwath will both keep the HST if elected, with a few items exempted.

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