Premier Kathleen Wynne says it’s “helpful” her predecessor Dalton McGuinty has finally broken his silence on the illegal deletion of gas-plant emails by members of his staff.

In her first public comments since the Ontario Provincial Police announced a probe Friday to determine whether crimes had been committed, Wynne welcomed McGuinty weighing in on the issue.

“He has firsthand information about what was happening so it’s helpful for him to be able to talk about that,” the premier told the Star at Toronto’s Portugal Day parade on Dundas St. West.

On Friday, McGuinty admitted he “did not devote adequate resources” to informing Liberal political staff about the need to save important documents.

His statement came two days after Information and Privacy Commissioner Ann Cavoukian concluded emails related to the Liberals’ controversial cancellation of power plants in Oakville and Mississauga were illegally destroyed.

The plants were scrapped at a cost of at least $585 million to save five Liberals seats in Oakville, Mississauga and Etobicoke in the 2011 election.

Cavoukian specifically named Craig MacLennan, who was chief of staff to former energy ministers Brad Duguid and Chris Bentley and David Livingston, the former chief of staff for McGuinty.

“I was unaware of discussions between government staff and the Ontario Public Service regarding the deletion of documents. At no time did I condone or direct the deletion of emails or documents which ought to have been preserved,” said the former premier, who remains Ottawa South MPP.

But Wynne, who succeeded McGuinty four months ago, emphasized she was not shying away from her role in cleaning up the mess.

“I’ve been clear that I take responsibility as premier and as part of the government since 2003 that there were things that happened that shouldn’t have happened,” the premier said.

“Since I’ve taken this office I’ve tried to rectify those and make sure . . . that the process is opened up,” Wynne said.

“There should have been a better upfront process (in locating the gas plants), the decisions should have been made sooner and they weren’t so it has led to these other things that, again, shouldn’t have happened,” she said.

“We knew when we came in a few months ago that we were going to have to deal with this whole situation. We’re dealing with it in all of its aspects and will continue to do that.” While the Progressive Conservatives hope to use the scandal to trigger a July election, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath told the Star that her party has no plans to defeat the minority Liberals’ budget in a key vote Tuesday.

“We made our commitments in terms of the budget. We’re still proud of the work we were able to do,” Horwath said Sunday, referring to the 15 per cent cut in auto-insurance rates and improvements for home-care health services and youth jobs that the NDP ensured were in the Liberal spending plan.

“Are we very concerned about what’s happened? Yes. We’re going to keep holding the government to account,” she said, noting it was a complaint by New Democrat MPP Peter Tabuns (Toronto-Danforth) that sparked Cavoukian’s report.

“Had we pulled the plug on the budget earlier on we wouldn’t be getting any of these answers,” said the New Democrat leader.

Horwath, who also participated in the Portugal Day festivities, warmly greeted Wynne at the end of the parade route near Trinity-Bellwoods Park.

The Conservatives, who had no presence in the annual event that attracts tens of thousands of Portugese Canadians from all over Greater Toronto and beyond, sent an open letter to the NDP on Sunday urging them to topple the Liberals.

“The NDP no longer has the right to criticize the same government they are keeping in power,” said Tory House Leader Jim Wilson.

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“They continue to support them — even in the midst of a police investigation. What is it going to take to convince the NDP to put an end to this corrupt government?” said Wilson in a statement from Alliston, Ont.

“This isn’t about any one political party. It’s about accountability, democracy and respect for the people of this province. It’s time to change the team that leads us,” he said.

“The McGuinty-Wynne Liberals have lost the moral authority to govern. I call on the NDP to give Ontarians a voice and bring an end to this corrupt and incompetent government.”

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