Premier Kathleen Wynne’s minority Liberals are girding for an election campaign that could be triggered as early as mid-May.

With mounting concerns NDP Leader Andrea Horwath will join forces with Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak in toppling the Liberals by voting against the upcoming budget, the Grits are gearing for battle.

“We will be ready if we’re defeated on the budget,” Health Minister Deb Matthews, the Liberal campaign co-chair, said Thursday.

Matthews stressed Wynne, who succeeded former premier Dalton McGuinty in February, would rather govern than hit the campaign trail.

Still, preparations are being made if Finance Minister Charles Sousa’s budget is voted down next month.

Don Guy — a key architect of McGuinty’s wins in 2003, 2007, and 2011 as well as his defeat in 1999 — will run the campaign.

Working alongside Guy are: Tom Allison, the dynamo who ran Wynne’s successful Liberal leadership bid in January; Ian Davey, one-time chief of staff to former federal Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff; and Andrew Bevan, the premier’s principal secretary and policy guru.

Joining Matthews as co-chair is Tim Murphy, who was also prime minister Paul Martin’s chief of staff. Both Matthews and Murphy, a one-time Toronto MPP, are former Ontario Liberal Party presidents.

The senior campaign team has stepped up meetings with Wynne even as Sousa is crafting a budget designed to appease the NDP.

Liberal insiders insist the treasurer will meet Horwath’s demands for an auto insurance rate cut, improved access to home care for seniors, cutting corporate tax loopholes, and boosting youth employment.

Seeking advice on that budget, Sousa had breakfast Thursday at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel with Martin, who had served as former prime minister Jean Chrétien’s finance minister.

“Paul Martin was very supportive. He talked a lot about the need to . . . balance the books in a very pragmatic way. In other words, don’t take extreme measures to get to where you need to be,” Sousa told reporters.

The Grits face an $11.9 billion deficit and expect to remain awash in red ink until 2017-18.

In contrast, the Tories promise major spending cuts — including a reduction in public service jobs — and a balanced budget by 2016-17 if they are elected.

Senior New Democrats insist they want to pore over Sousa’s budget before determining whether to pull the plug.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Horwath, who won concessions in last year’s Liberal spending plan that averted an election, is under increasing pressure from hawkish caucus member to spark a spring vote.

“The longer she waits the more distance there is between Wynne and McGuinty, which helps the Liberals,” confided one New Democrat, noting it’s better to go now to exploit furore over the Grits’ gas-plant fiasco.

Read more about: