Kathleen Wynne takes aim at Harper over pension reform

Ontario Premier KathleenWynneis putting Prime Minister Stephen Harper in hercrosshairsas she girds for a possible spring election.

Addressing the party faithful in Toronto, she says his opposition to pension reform is somewhere between "offensive and inexplicable."

Wynneclashed with Ottawalast year over its refusal to boost the Canada Pension Plan, and has said she willintroduce plansfor a new,separate pension plan forOntariansthis year.

"It is somewhere between offensive and inexplicable to ask the people who worked hard all their lives to be rewarded with retirement that takes them out of the middle class,"Wynnetold the crowd. "That might be Stephen Harpers way, but it is not our way. It is not the Liberal way.

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ButWynnealso took a page from Harper's election playbook, painting her provincial Liberals as the safe, steady alternative to the reckless Tories and New Democrats.

The Progressive Conservatives want a war on labour,Wynnesaid, while theNDPbelieves that business is the enemy.

Neither has a plan to move forward. Neither shares our laser focus on helping working families.

Well-funded public transit, keeping Ontario's hospitals public and protecting the Great Lakes could make it into the Liberals' next election platform.

Party officials say one of those policy ideas which were selected from suggestions from thousands of party and non-party members will be in the document.

It's likely public transit will factor prominently, asWynnehas been talking for months about dedicated funding for a major transit expansion in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area.

And an election could be around the corner if the minority Liberals fail to pass their spring budget, whose date hasn't been announced yet.

Delegates at the party's annual general meeting in Toronto are already getting ready with training sessions designed to prepare them for the next campaign.

"What Leadership Is" is the other slogan the party is using to brandWynne, who was sworn in as premier just over a year ago, but has plenty of experience having spent years at the cabinet table.

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But the opposition parties say those so-called Liberal "safe hands"cancelled two unpopular gas plantsat a cost of up to $1 billion and are driving up energy rates.

There are also two criminal investigations underway, including one into the suspiciousbusiness activities ofOrnge, the province's air ambulance service.

The Liberals are driving out businesses with high taxes and energy rates and catering to unions at the taxpayers' expense, the Tories said.