Economist Don Drummond has strung a political tight rope that will require more skill for Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty to traverse than it will for daredevil Nik Wallenda to walk across a high wire crossing the Niagara Gorge.
On Feb. 15, Drummond, a former TD Bank chief economist and chair of the commission on public-service reform, delivered his long awaited report on cutting public services.
The 668-page report contained 362 recommendations including scrapping full-day kindergarten, increasing class sizes,  higher hydro and water bills, cancelling tuition grants for university and colleges, capping health care spending, and increasing revenue sources through toll roads and parking fees at GO Train stations.
While the media has discussed at length many of the report’s recommendations, the big question remains unanswered: “What will Premier McGuinty and his Liberal government do with it?”
The overwhelming message of the report is that Ontario is in bad fiscal shape.
Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath reacted quickly in criticizing the report for placing the burden of eliminating the deficit on working families rather than the corporate elite.
Ontario PC leader Tim Hudak applauded the report for pointing out the failings of the free-spending Liberals. The Tories have demanded Finance Minister Dwight Duncan to deliver a budget as soon as possible.
So where does that leave McGuinty and his vulnerable minority Liberal government?
If they decide to follow the recommendations to the letter, they run the risk of alienating the public employees and teachers unions which have propped up the Liberal government. And the general public won’t be too pleased to dig into their pockets for higher utility bills and more user fees.
Does McGuinty, who has been accused of  breaking political promises in the past, follow Drummond’s advice and cancel full-day kindergarten, roll back reductions in class sizes and cancel the university and college grants?
These are three expensive election platforms which have earned the Liberals support from parents and college and university students.
Turning their backs on those promises could drive many of their supporters into the waiting arms of the NDP.
However, not doing so will play into the hands of the Tories, who can argue the Liberals don’t have the stomach and will power to follow Drummond’s recommendations and bring Ontario’s spiralling deficit under control.
The Tories may be in the best political position. They have a ready-made platform for the next election. And it won’t have cost them a cent.
On the other hand, the Liberals might have some explaining as to why they would pay a consultant  $1,500 a day to provide a report and ignore its findings.
Then again, maybe the Drummond Report was just a taxpayer-funded exercise to gather the public’s opinion on tough cost-cutting measures.
Or, an apologetic McGuinty can enforce the recommendations and  flip-flop  on his election promises saying he is just following Drummond’s advice.
Regardless, McGuinty’s response to the Drummond report over the next few months could determine the fate of the Ontario Liberal minority government and how soon we have another provincial election.
Hamilton Community News Managing Editor Rod Jerred can be reached at rjerred@hamiltonnews.com or follow him on Twitter @HCN_editor.