Premier Kathleen Wynne’s minority Liberal government is spending $60,000 on “robocalls” to promote the upcoming budget — mostly in opposition-held ridings.

On Wednesday night, thousands of residents in Toronto NDP ridings received automated calls from Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Glen Murray and Economic Development Minister Eric Hoskins inviting them to a “free telephone town hall” Thursday from 7 to 8 p.m.

“Those tele-town halls are opportunities for people in every part of the province to give input into the budget. That’s what that is about,” a defensive Wynne told reporters Thursday morning.

“It would be irresponsible to not offer that opportunity to people across the province,” she said, confirming taxpayers are footing the tab for the calls to 600,000 households in every corner of the province.

“It’s the electronic version of in-person town halls.”

While the events are being held in only 25 of Ontario’s 107 ridings, the Liberals noted they are not only targeting opposition constituencies.

But eight are held by the Progressive Conservatives and seven are NDP ridings. Ten of the 25 ridings are Liberal-held.

Tory MPP Lisa MacLeod, whose Nepean—Carleton riding was hit with Liberal robocalls, cried foul.

“I have serious questions about why the government is contacting opposition members (ridings) and not including the opposition members. Are they using this data that they acquire for political purposes? It is public money that they’re spending,” said MacLeod.

New Democrat MPP Michael Prue (Beaches—East York) was “taken aback” when told by the Star that his riding was targeted.

“I find it rather bizarre that they’re doing robocalls at all. We have a process in the province — the finance committee has just finished hearing from 125 witnesses. I’m on that committee,” said Prue.

“That’s what the minister (of finance Charles Sousa) is supposed to base his information on, not phoning up the people of my riding asking for their opinion.”

Sousa said he was “trying to reach out to as many individuals as I can.”

Aside from Beaches—East York, residents of Trinity—Spadina, Davenport, and Toronto Danforth, Parkdale—High Park, St. Paul’s, and Toronto Centre received calls Wednesday night. Only the latter two ridings — Hoskins’ and Murray’s — are Liberal; the rest are NDP.

That means the Liberals hit all five of the Toronto seats they do not represent.

The ministers hosting Thursday’s town hall insisted nothing untoward was happening.

“This isn’t a partisan issue. This is two cabinet ministers, two downtown MPPs, reaching out residents of the core of the city. I don’t believe that I have to defend this at all,” said Hoskins.

“As a minister, I want to hear from folks,” added Murray.

The blitz comes as the minority governing party gears up for a vote that could come some time this year.

Wynne was in election readiness meetings earlier Thursday with Liberal campaign co-chairs Deb Matthews, who is also the health minister, and prominent lawyer Tim Murphy, as well as former premier Dalton McGuinty’s political guru, Don Guy, an architect of Liberal triumphs in 2003, 2007, and 2011.

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

Indeed, the premier sounded feisty and prepared to hit the hustings.

When a reporter suggested it was “mathematically impossible” for the Liberals to balance the books by 2017-18, she shot back: “Well, watch us.”

The Liberals need help from either the NDP or the Tories to pass Sousa’s budget, which will be tabled at the end of the month.

Read more about: