On the same day the Elementary Teacher’s Federation of Ontario endorsed the New Democratic Party, it’s been revealed one of the candidates running for the party has called for a 15 per cent rollback in teachers’ salaries.

Marco Coletta, the NDP candidate in Richmond Hill, said at his nomination meeting April 4, “I think that the teachers’ unions should come to the table and say, you know what, we’re willing to do a 15 per cent cut across the board.”

He also said, “I hate to, especially when I’m talking to teachers, I hate to say that maybe there needs to be a pay cut.”

Coletta added:” I mean, it’s just a matter of priority. And every time, every time, that that conversation comes up, I don’t think that the teachers’ unions come to the table and say, ‘yeah, all those schools need to be funded.”

Reached by phone on Thursday afternoon, Coletta admitted he made the remarks calling for the 15 per cent cut for teachers at the nomination meeting.

Asked why he picked a 15 per cent cut, he said, “To be honest, it was the first number that popped into my head. It was not based on any research. It was not meant as policy.

“It was not a suggestion based on looking at any actual evidence, it was simply a number,” admitted Coletta, who said he was responding to questions from a teacher at the nomination meeting.

“I am not a negotiator, my expertise is not in education.”

He said he believes the problems teachers’ unions are having are strictly with the “government side not negotiating in good faith.”

He said, “I regret making up a random number,” and conceded that 15 per cent was “absolutely” a big pay cut.