The Ontario Legislature was barely back to work when the political games started.
The governing Liberals, in a minority for the first time, produced a throne speech long on pleasant rhetoric and short on details of how the fancy promises and idealistic statements are going to be carried through.
We're supposed to believe that the government can cut its spending increases to bare minimum, while not only not raising taxes but providing greater tax breaks, and promising expanded health care and education funding plus perks like extended GO train service.
But statements like "Ontario is moving forward for a stronger, more competitive economy that protects and creates jobs for families" make good quotes in the media and sound good on the campaign trail - something everyone is concerned with during a minority government.
Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak has already started his election campaigning. In true Conservative fashion, he's found an enemy to attack and criticize - overpaid public sector staff.
Hudak is demanding the Liberals put in a freeze on public sector salaries, or else the PCs won't vote for the throne speech. Voting down the throne speech would trigger either an election, or give Hudak the chance to cobble together a coalition with the NDP and take power.
But while civil servants and government workers are an easy target for voter ire, Hudak wants his wage freeze to extend to teachers and doctors. Former PC Premier Mike Harris got great political mileage out of picking on teachers, doctors and nurses, criticizing them for being vastly overpaid while doing little work (teachers should teach was Harris's mantra for cutting teacher prep time and involvement in extracurricular activities), and it looks like Hudak is following right along in his mentor's footsteps.
Do we really want the province's health care and education standards to take another giant step backward just so the PCs can score political points?
But it may not come to that. Hudak ends up looking good in the political game simply by making the suggestion.
If McGuinty and the Liberals don't agree to his demand, they look like they're in favour of cushy high-paying salaries for government staff at the expense of "ordinary people" - and Hudak gets to promote himself as champion of "us folks."
It's not likely the wage freeze demand will bring about an election, because even in the PCs vote against the throne speech it looks like the NDP are more interested in working with the government than going to the polls. And Hudak wins again, getting to trumpet the idea of a Liberal-NDP "coalition" - and we all know from listening to Stephen Harper just how terrible a coalition is.
Further, NDP leader Andrea Horwath has nicely played into Hudak's hands by openly stating he's playing political games - nothing works better at swaying voter opinion than a sanctimonious defence of an opponent's attack.
Look for both Hudak and Horwath to trot out the tired old cliche that they're not making demands, they're only trying to work with the government that refuses to live up to its commitment of working together… etc. etc. And look for McGuinty to repeat that he is willing to work with the opposition but won't enact anything that's not good for Ontario, the economy, and most importantly the voters he hopes to appeal to if he has to face a quick election.