Andrea Horwath defends party's big-spending platform

Ontario NDPLeader Andrea Horwathknows her plan toprovide free or low-cost licensed daycare to families across the province will cost billions of dollars,but saidthe program will become sustainable in the long run.

The NDPplatform, released Monday, promises tospend $375 million in the first year ofthe childcare strategy, followed by another $1 billion in the secondyear.By 2023the price tag rises to more than $3 billion annually.

Under the plan, families earning less than $40,000 will get free daycare, while those with higher household incomes will payan average of $12 per day.

The NDPleadertold CBC Radio's Ottawa MorningTuesday the idea behind the program is to get more women back into the workforce.

"It's a sustainable plan," Horwath said. "It's one that recognizes that some families can pay some money toward childcare, but the lowest-income families simply are not able to afford anything at all."

Some families could end up paying more than $12 per day, Horwath said, butmost will payless. She was unable to pinpoint the income cutoff that would determine whether a family will qualifyfor the $12 daily rate.

"Unlike the other plan that's out there, our plan is one that's got universal access to childcare. It's not about how old your little ones are. It's about how much your family can afford to pay," she said.

Boost in hospital spending

Other significant promises in the NDP platform includea 5.3 per cent increase in hospital funding, followed by annual increases to match inflation. In all, the NDP said it would commit approximately $19 billion in funding for hospitals over a 10-year period, as well as create 2,000 new hospital beds.

To help pay for this plan the province will need torun deficits over the next five years and hike taxes forhigh-income earners. There will be a three per cent surcharge on the purchase of luxury cars worth more than $90,000, and the corporate tax rate would risefrom 11.5 per cent to 13 per cent.

"We've only costed out to the five-year plan, but you can see that we're down below $2 billion ... for the fifth year and we're going to continue to trend downward as we go forward," Horwath said.

Unlike her opponents, Premier KathleenWynneand PC Leader Doug Ford,Horwathwants toreturn Hydro One to public ownership and usedividends to pay for the purchase.

NDPslipping in CBCpoll

On Tuesday, the CBC's poll tracker hadthe NDP at a 0.1 per cent chance of winning the June election, a far cry from the 91.9 per cent probability of a PC majority.

Horwathsaid the numbers are a sign that Ontarians wanta change in leadership.

"I believe Doug Ford will drag this province backwards. I don't think that's what we need for Ontario. That's the message of hope that I have for the people of the province. Change, but change for the better," she said.

Ontarianswill head to the polls on June 7.