TORONTO -- Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne is staying in the north today to campaign in Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury following her debate Monday with NDP Leader Andrea Horwath in Thunder Bay.

Horwath has stops planned in Toronto, St. Catharines and Fort Erie, while Tory Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak has a morning event in Pickering.

On Monday, Horwath went for the jugular as she and Wynne debated northern Ontario issues.

Calling the Liberals corrupt and saying voters are fed up with their lies, Horwath said voters deserve a hard-working, honest government and that starts by cleaning up the corruption at Queen's Park.

And she said Wynne played a role in the decisions to cancel two gas plants -- at a cost of up to $1.1 billion -- prior to the last election just to save Liberal seats in the Toronto suburbs.

Hudak, who was campaigning in Peterborough and the Greater Toronto Area, said his schedule wouldn't allow him to attend.

Thunder Bay resident Erin Bellavance said it doesn't matter that Hudak didn't take part in the debate, which was mostly attended by party supporters there to cheer on their leader.

There were no direct exchanges between Horwath and Wynne in the lacklustre debate because the format had them responding to questions from selected northern Ontario leaders, but not engaging with each other.

Both leaders promised they'd help develop the mineral-rich Ring of Fire deposit and take action on soaring electricity rates.

Questioning that covered a wide range of topics, from the province's $12.5-billion deficit to the employment skills gap to what they would do to provide more social supports, which are most costly in the north.