Few policy differences emerged at the first debate by the seven men and women running to replace Dalton McGuinty as Ontario Liberal leader and premier.

But Kathleen Wynne did surprise the audience in Ingersol Saturday by promising to appoint herself as agriculture minister for at least a year while also serving as premier.

The candidates faced a series of vague questions posed by Liberal insiders that focused mainly on rural issues, jobs and health care.

And they all promised to do more to win back rural support, especially among people angry over wind farms, which cost the party seats in the 2011 election.