TORONTO - Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath has added to her list of "priorities" for the new spring session of Kathleen Wynne's minority Liberal government.

The NDP is pursuing a home-care guarantee for seniors and a drop in auto insurance rates.

"Ontarians understand we're facing big challenges. They don't expect us to overcome them overnight, but they don't want to see the same status quo," Horwath said in a statement released Monday morning.
The home-care guarantee would make it a requirement that seniors get the services they need within five days.

Ontario's auditor general reported that people in some regions of the province wait up to 262 days.

Horwath also wants the Financial Services Commission to be mandated to bring down auto insurance rates by 15%.

The NDP says that would bring down the average premium to $1,279 from $1,505, which would allow an average Ontario driver to keep an extra $226.

Balancing the provincial books - $11.9 billion overdrawn this year - should be done in a way that doesn't impact public services, the NDP says.

Horwath has already called for an end to corporate tax loopholes for expenses such as entertaining and an end to a payroll tax exemption for large businesses.

Premier-designate Wynne will need the support of at least one of the opposition parties to continue to govern and avoid an election, which she said is her priority.