TORONTO — Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne says her Tory opponent is just like U.S. President Donald Trump, calling Doug Ford a bully and a coward who "traffics in smears and lies."
Wynne pushed back Wednesday when asked about comments Ford made a day earlier in which he suggested some Liberals could face jail time if they pulled what he described as "shady tricks" with taxpayer dollars.
The premier said Ford is borrowing from Trump's playbook, and predicted the spring election campaign will be "vicious."
The Progressive Conservatives dismissed the comparison as a bizarre and desperate election ploy meant to distract from the Liberals' political record.
Tory legislator Lisa MacLeod accused Wynne of trying to scare voters with her attacks.
The Tories have repeatedly criticized the Liberals for what they call reckless spending of public funds.