NDP Poverty Critic Michael Prue today demanded the McGuinty Liberals take immediate action to reduce poverty, including implementing a host of cost-effective measures that would make a significant difference in the lives of Ontario’s poorest.

”An economic crisis is no excuse for poverty to slip off Dalton McGuinty’s agenda. Now is precisely the time when we need to see action from his government. There are things that can be done immediately that won’t cost the province a cent,” said Prue.

During today’s opening of the Legislative Assembly’s Fall Session, Prue grilled McGuinty for stalling on his poverty reduction promise.

Prue said Ontario’s economic “tough times” should not be used as an excuse to delay these effective poverty-fighting measures:

• Immediately increasing the minimum wage to $10.25 an hour.
• Improving the Employment Standards Act to protect temp agency and part-time workers so that employers can’t underpay and exploit employees.
• Restoring card certification across all job sectors so that unionization is not so difficult and bad jobs can be turned into good jobs with decent pay and benefits.
• Capping payday loan rates at 35 per cent so that people don’t see their scant dollars siphoned off at extortionate rates.
Prue noted that all of these measures have been repeatedly recommended by poverty activists at consultations held across Ontario.
“These measures would make a difference and they wouldn’t break the bank. Dalton McGuinty has no excuse for not acting on them,” he said.