EDITORIAL: NDP call a bit strange

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath may have made a major miscalculation.

According to the latest polls – and pretty much every poll in recent months – her party is mired in third place.

While an election was probably the best thing for Ontarians, it might not be so great for a party still trying to shake the effects of Bob Rae, who led the NDP to its only victory more than two decades ago.

What does Horwath stand to gain?

Conservative Leader Tim Hudak has been calling for an election since Kathleen Wynne became Liberal leader.

When all is said and done, he could wind up as premier. He had every reason to go to the polls.

Voters also deserve to pass judgement on Wynne and the Liberals, who have been rocked by an endless stream of scandals, including ORNGE and the cancelled southern Ontario gas plants.

If the polls are accurate – and we’ve seen some pretty hefty misprojections recently – the NDP might gain a seat or two.?Or they might lose a seat or two.

Either way, it doesn’t appear they’re going to find the support to assume the reins of power.

Much of what Horwath said she’d vote against in the Liberal budget was taken directly from the NDP playbook.

Perhaps she hopes Hudak wins a minority and then can present herself as the best alternative when the Cons­ervative’s first budget is shot down?