Fighting for her political life, Liberal Leader Kathleen Wynne painted her rivals for the premier’s job as dangerous and asked voters to set aside their personal dislike of her during a meeting with the Star’s editorial board Monday.

Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford would undo years of efforts to combat greenhouse gases and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath’s tax hikes risk undermining an economy that has left Ontario with its lowest unemployment rate in 20 years, said Wynne, who became premier in 2013.

“I know I’m in third,” she acknowledged, referring to public opinion polls that show Horwath and Ford see-sawing for the lead as the June 7 election draws closer.

“There will be people who don’t vote for us just because they don’t like me.”

But with Ford’s promise of $6 billion in government spending cuts likely to result in cuts to education and health care, voters should ask themselves, “Who are you going to trust your children with? Who are you going to trust your parents with?” Wynne said.

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She took further aim at Ford’s plan to scrap her cap-and-trade program and 4.3 cent per litre carbon tax, reducing gas prices at the pump by a dime after adding a cut of 5.7 cents from the provincial excise tax on fuel.

“I think it does people who live in this province a disservice to say, ‘You know what? We don’t have to fight climate change. We don’t have to deal with that, we can just bring gas prices down just by snapping our fingers and there will be no ramifications.’ It’s not true,” she said during the hour-long live-streamed session with editors and reporters.

“Why don’t I talk more like Doug Ford? Well, I can’t because I have to tell people the truth about what’s happening,” Wynne added, accusing him of “electioneering by slogans.”

“Maybe I have to find fewer words, but I have to find a way to say, ‘You know, if we don’t fight climate change today, you’re going to see more flooding, you’re going to see more fires, you’re going to see degradation. You’re going to see your lifestyle change beyond recognition — and if not yours, then your children and your grandchildren.”

Ford has been invited to meet with the editorial board but has not yet agreed to attend. Horwath appeared last Tuesday.

With the campaign in its final phase following Sunday night’s televised leadership debate, Wynne made a pitch for anti-Ford voters to reconsider the Liberals because of their “overlap” with the NDP’s progressive values.

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“I recognize that, at this moment, it’s very important for me to distinguish the difference … the fact is, there are some pretty significant differences,” Wynne said, claiming “we are, I believe, running the most progressive government in North America.”

The NDP plan to raise corporate taxes will curb business and job growth while Horwath’s refusal to consider back-to-work legislation to end lingering strikes in the public service, such as in schools, shows the party is “beholden” to unions, Wynne charged.

“That just makes no sense to me,” she said. “I do not believe it is in the best interest of our society to have these rigid belief systems.”

Earlier in the day, Wynne promised to recall the legislature “swiftly,” if she is re-elected next week, to force 3,000 striking York University contract faculty and teaching assistants back to work after three months on the picket lines.

“Introducing legislation to end a strike isn’t something I do lightly. But it is clear in the case of York University that the two sides are not close to reaching a deal and students are suffering,” Wynne said.

“The NDP need to stop putting their ideology ahead of students and their future.”

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Horwath has said her party opposes back-to-work legislation as a “heavy-handed hammer” that takes away the constitutional rights of unionized workers to free collective bargaining.

Turning the tables on Wynne, Horwath blamed the Liberals for strikes at York this spring and community colleges last fall. She said the government “squeezed” post-secondary funding and forced the schools to resort to more part-time and casual instructors, and this led to labour strife.

The Liberal government tried to end the York strike before the legislature dissolved for the election early this month, but the New Democrats blocked the attempt.

Last fall, the Conservatives supported Liberal legislation to end a weeks-long strike at community colleges as the students’ term was in jeopardy. New Democrats voted against the bill.

With the polls showing a tight race between Horwath and Ford, Wynne said that in the event of a minority government, “the party that has won the most seats should have the right to attempt to form a government.”

She wouldn’t comment on any possible scenarios. “There are just too many ifs and just too many moving parts,” she said.

On electricity prices, which have become a major issue in the campaign despite attempts by the Liberal government to quell dissent by lowering prices 25 per cent a year ago, Wynne said “maybe not” when asked if she moved quickly enough.

She defended the decision to sell a 53 per cent stake in transmission utility Hydro One to raise $9 billion for debt repayment in the electricity sector and to build transit and other infrastructure to help the economy grow.

“I did not see how else we were going to find the funding to actually do the building that’s necessary,” Wynne said.

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