The province has announced its deficit has shrunk again: it's now at $13 billion.

The most recent projection had been $15 billion and in the 2011 budget, it was $16.3 billion.

Ontario's 2011-2012 public accounts were released Thursday.

Finance Minister Dwight Duncan underlines this doesn't mean there is more money left for teacher contracts or anyone else in the public sector. He says a $13 billion deficit is still substantial and there is still a long way to go.

As for if the province will pay things down sooner than it's projection of 2017-18, Duncan reveals they aren't changing anything yet. But says things may be updated when the McGuinty Liberals release their fall economic statement in the upcoming weeks.

Meantime, questions about numbers are arising from the opposition at Queen's Park.

 NDP house leader Gilles Bisson is accusing the Liberals of fudging the numbers. He says the finance minister was trying to say there was a $3.3 billion change, working off last year's budget projections instead of the most recent figures.

PC Finance Critic Peter Shurman maintains the Liberals are always conservative in their deficit projections so they can come out and celebrate the numbers are lower than anticipated.