Ontario families are struggling more than ever to make ends meet. While Howard Hampton and the NDP put a fair deal for hard working families first, Dalton McGuinty’s Liberals have a legacy of broken promises and public relations photo-ops.
In 2003 Dalton McGuinty’s Liberals promised to end the clawback of the National Child Benefit Supplement, a baby bonus for low income families. McGuinty broke that promise, but that hasn’t stopped him from making it again this election.
McGuinty also broke promises to invest $300 million of new money into child care, to raise disability supports and other social assistance payments by the rate of inflation, and to build 20,000 new units of affordable housing. And McGuinty has promised to raise the minimum wage to $10 an hour – in three years time.
McGuinty has also refused to step in to stop the loss of 175,000 good-paying manufacturing jobs, the loss of which has devastated families and communities.
The NDP’s comprehensive plan for economic fairness includes:
- Increase the minimum wage to $10 an hour NOW and then index the minimum wage to inflation.
- Lower the industrial Hydro rate to protect well-paying manufacturing jobs.
- End the clawback of the National Child Benefit Supplement and make sure families get provincial child benefits sooner.
- Create an arms-length panel to recommend fair rates for people with disabilities and those on social assistance.
- A Fair Deal for housing that includes rent supplements, rent controls and new affordable and supportive housing.
- Dental care for children and all those who don’t have dental insurance coverage with the NDP’s Ontario Smiles dental program.
- Give up to $450 to everyone who earns less than $80,000 a year as a health tax rebate.
- Work with First Nations to address poverty in First Nation communities.
On October 10, you can count on the NDP to fight for a fair deal for all hard-working families. McGuinty got it wrong. New Democrats will make it right.