NDP Leader Howard Hampton today supported calls made by the province-wide “25-in-5” Coalition for real, immediate action from the McGuinty government to reduce poverty.

“The McGuinty government can take immediate steps to reduce poverty, but it needs the political will to do it. That will has been sadly lacking for the last five years,” said Hampton.

Hampton pointed to three measures endorsed by the “25-in-5” Coalition, a group of representatives from municipalities, unions, academic institutions and immigrant groups: an immediate increase in the minimum wage to $10 per hour; the immediate end of the clawback of the national child benefit; and the creation of additional affordable, public childcare spaces.

“These are measures that New Democrats support. They will help lift Ontarians from poverty. Other provinces have embraced these measures and the results are impressive,” said Hampton, pointing to Quebec, which has seen the rate of child poverty decline from 22 per cent in 1997 to less than 10 per cent today.

“If it can work elsewhere, it can work in Ontario. But we need real commitment from a government that has refused to demonstrate it. What we see instead are more empty promises and meaningless photo-ops that do nothing to help the neediest Ontarians,” said Hampton.