TORONTO, Ont. -  Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath has announced her party’s support of the Liberals’ provincial budget.

Horwath said that she still does not like the minority McGuinty government budget, but she likes plunging the province into an election even less.

“That’s why I can say that our caucus does not intend to defeat the government over the budget motion tomorrow in the house,” she explained.

She added that this is not the time to defeat the McGuinty government.

“The commitment that I’ve made to the premier and the commitment I’ve made to Ontarians is that we will not be plunging this province into an election tomorrow,” said Horwath. “I feel that we serve the public better by getting to work here in this legislature than chasing votes in an election.”

Earlier Monday, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced a temporary two per cent surtax on people making over $500,000 annually.

The premier made the announcement after meeting with Horwath on Monday, in a last-ditch effort to save his minority government from defeat.

McGuinty agreed to the NDP demand for a two per cent surtax on incomes over $500-thousand, but he is making it temporary.

“That NDP surtax would be eliminated when we balance the budget in five years,” said the premier.

The New Democrats wanted the $470-million in new revenue used for healthcare and social programs, but McGuinty said he is using it all to pay down the deficit.

“We’re going to apply all those moneys, all those dollars directly to the deficit and at that time that we have achieved balance we will lift that tax,” he explained.

McGuinty took a shot at the Ontario PC’s for planning to vote against the budget without offering improvements.

“Tim Hudak abdicated a very important responsibility. You’ve got to be at the table,” said the premier.

In a statement released Monday evening, Ontario Conservative Leader Tim Hudak said the deal made between the Liberals and NDP is not surprising.

“The choice made by the Premier today leads us further down the same failed path we have been on for the last eight years.  This is the path of more spending, more taxing, and no plan to create a better climate for private sector jobs.  It tinkers with small change when what we need is big change,” he said.

With the Ontario Conservatives are expected to vote against McGuinty’s budget Tuesday, it will be up to the NDP to decide whether the budget passes or Ontarians will be returning to the polls.

If the government does fall during the budget vote, Ontarians would likely go to the polls on May 24.