TORONTO, Ont. – The governing Liberals are targeting younger instructors in their battle to freeze compensation for Ontario teachers.

They said they’re prepared to set down a regulation in the coming weeks that would ensure “fair hiring practices” are applied in every school board.

Education Minister Laurel Broten said the change would benefit younger teachers who have been waiting for full-time jobs after years of substitute and occasional teaching.

“We have authority within the Education Act to make that our systems are open and fair and transparent, and today, my message is we’ll take that step,” Broten said.

But she said she’s not trying to pit younger teachers against their more experienced and better paid counterparts.

The Liberals have threatened to recall the legislature if school boards don’t sign new contracts with their teachers by that date.

Broten said recent deals have provided the framework and now local needs to follow the framework, and now local boards need to follow suit.

If new contracts are not signed by Sept. 1, old ones automatically roll over and give teachers raises of up to 5.5 per cent, something the McGuinty government doesn’t want to see happen.

Lisa Macleod, a PC education critic told 680News they want to see a wage freeze across all government positions.

“It’s unfortunate that the Ontario Liberals waited until the eleventh hour to address something that the Ontario PCs have been calling for for over a year now,” Macleod said.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said that will spark a court battle that she claims will cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

The Conservatives, who favour an immediate legislative wage freeze for all broader public sector workers, won’t say whether they’ll back any legislation the Liberals put forward.