Wynne, Horwath downplay election talk after Tory, NDP byelection wins

Premier Kathleen Wynne is in no hurry for a springelection after the Liberals lost big in byelections in Niagara Fallsand Thornhill on Thursday.

Wynne says she doesn't know when there will be a generalelection, and insists the Liberals will stick with the plan tointroduce a budget this spring and keep the minority governmentalive.

"Whatever has happened in these byelections is not reflective of whats going to happen in the general election," Wynne said, remaining rather defiant that people "cannot extrapolate" future results based on last night's votes.

Wynne added that she doubted many showed an interest in watching the results Thursday night and when she woke up she was still premier.

Despite the NDP's big win in Niagara Falls, leader Andrea Horwathstill won't say if she'll stop supporting the minority governmentand trigger a spring election.

Horwath says the byelection results sent a clear message thatpeople are not happy with the Liberals, but adds she is not focusedon a possible election.

"Families are worried about jobs, the cost of daily life and their health care system." Horwath said. "They hear the same old ideas coming from the same old parties and they know its time for a change."

Meanwhile, Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak blames"union elites" for his party's loss to the New Democrats inNiagara Falls, which had been Liberal for a decade.

Hudak says the Tories were in a "David and Goliath" battleagainst hundreds of paid union activists who flooded Niagara Fallsin support of the NDP.

He says the Conservatives would have taken the riding if it hadbeen a level playing field.