Ontario’s opposition parties are outraged that a consultant hired by the province to find ways to pare back spending is making $1,500 a day.

Don Drummond, TD Bank’s former chief economist, is now chairing the province’s commission on the reform of Ontario’s public services.

He was appointed by Premier Dalton McGuinty to find ways the province, which is currently operating with a $16.3 billion deficit, can pare back spending.

Drummond’s $1,500 day rate has appalled NDP leader Andrea Horwath.

"It’s yet another high-priced consultant giving us advice on the kinds of cutbacks that we're going to hit families with,” she told CBC News.

Horwath sees a disconnect between Drummond's mandate and his pay.

"It seems like everybody has to tighten their belts except for once again the consultants that the government relies heavily on," she said.

Progressive Conservative finance critic Peter Shurman also said that Drummond’s pay is excessive.

'It seems like everybody has to tighten their belts except for... the consultants that the government relies heavily on'—NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

"What is ironic about this is we're going to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Drummond commission to tell us a lot of things — particularly on our party's part — we already knew."

The government is capping total pay for Drummond and his three commission members at $420,000.

Finance Ministry officials told CBC News that $1,500 a day is the going rate for someone of Drummond's skills.