Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak says he would reduce the number of public sector workers in Ontario by 100,000 if he wins the June 12 election, and do it without affecting "vital" services performed by nurses, doctors and police.
Hudak says government is growing bigger than taxpayers can afford, and he wants to get it out of business where it doesn't belong, but a Tory background paper does not provide any example.
He would eliminate agencies and programs that don't offer good value for the taxpayer, reduce the number of administrative jobs and also shrink the size of cabinet from 27 to 16 ministers.
Hudak says health care funding will continue to grow if he becomes premier, but spending in every other area will decrease, making him the first Ontario leader to say he'd cut the education budget.
He says the more the government spends, the longer the province will stay in an "economic rut" and keep losing jobs.
Hudak told a town hall breakfast in Barrie that it's time for the government to stop piling up enormous debt and said the key to creating jobs is eliminating the projected $12.5-billion deficit
