Attempts by Ontario's minority Liberal government to impose a wage freeze on teachers this summer could trigger a general election if it can't convince the opposition parties to let the bill pass.
Premier Dalton McGuinty has threatened to recall the legislature to impose a new contract on teachers if they can't reach agreements with local school boards by Sept. 1.
"We've worked long and hard and been sincere and earnest in our efforts to work with our teaching partners, but at some point in time you've got to act," McGuinty said after touring a school in Windsor. "And respect for the collective bargaining process cannot be used as an excuse to do nothing."
The cash-strapped government has been trying to negotiate a two-year wage freeze with more than one million public sec-tor workers to eliminate a $15billion deficit by 2017-18.
Liberal sources said it was "premature" to talk about declaring any legislation to deal with teachers a confidence motion, which would automatically spark an election if it was defeated.
McGuinty admitted he'll need the support of at least one opposition party if it comes to legislation, but said he was concerned with the "noises" he's been hearing from the Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats.
"As far as the PCs are concerned, they are worried that we're not hitting teachers hard enough," he said. "We're looking for fairness; they're looking for a fight."
McGuinty wasn't expecting any help from the NDP either.
"The NDP are running faster than [Jamaican gold medallist] Usain Bolt away from any government measure that would address public sector compensation. They're afraid of that."
