NDP platform incoming

Plus: Ads from the Grit war room, Yarde crosses the floor, more masks

ABOVE THE FOLD

NDP FIRST OUT OF THE PLATFORM GATES — With the PCs pre-election budget a.k.a. platform poised to drop Thursday, New Democrat Leader ANDREA HORWATH is coming out with full-on party promises today.

It’s expected to be as fully costed as possible. One NDP insider with knowledge of the document says some pricing details are pending, as they need the government’s budget to help fill in some blanks.

After a morning media technical briefing, Horwath makes it official at 11 a.m. at Toronto’s Airship 37 venue.

Stealing their thunder, perhaps, is Grit Leader STEVEN DEL DUCA, who’s up with a big platform announcement at Markham’s Casa del Sol condo site this morning at 8:45 a.m. Another pledge: The Liberals would also allow universal access to medication to prevent HIV transmission, reduce barriers to gender-affirming surgeries, and dole out $20 million to LGBTQ community centres and organizations if elected in June.

Meanwhile at 10:30 a.m. in Ottawa, Green Leader MIKE SCHREINER a…