A year ago, the Ontario government gave poor families an early Christmas present: a promise to reduce poverty by 25 per cent in five years. The province began sketching a path to lift 90,000 Ontario children and their families out of poverty by 2013.

One year after unfurling the map, it's time to get our bearings. According to the 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction, which tracks poverty in Ontario, we've pointed ourselves in the right direction but we desperately need more fuel to get us to our destination.  You can download a copy of 25 in 5 Network's report of Ontario's first year of its poverty reduction strategy here.

Last week, the Ontario Poverty Reduction Act became law, receiving all-party support. Make Poverty History worked hard to get all parties to agree on an amended Poverty Reduction Bill encouraging opposition leaders to improve the proposed law instead of voting against it.

Minister says federal cooperation needed

Interesting story in the Toronto Star today, with the Ontario Children and Youth Services Minister Deb Matthews saying the province may miss their poverty reduction targets.

The McGuinty government promised to implement a poverty reduction strategy during the last election in the fall of 2007, and unveiled the plan in December of 2008. The target of reducing poverty rates in the province by 25 per cent over the next five years was in the plan.

Today the Ontario government kept its' promise and announced a poverty reduction strategy for Ontario. This is something that Make Poverty History campaigned for during the provincial election in the fall of 2007, and the Liberals agreed to announce a plan by this month to reduce poverty in the province.

Our allies at the 25 in 5 campaign have had a look at the plan, and are cautiously optimistic. The plan commits to reducing poverty by 25 percent over 5 years in Ontario - now the work comes in making sure the commitments are kept.

The Ontario government promised last fall, during the election, to develop a plan to reduce poverty and make it public before the end of the year. They are looking for public input on the plan, and you can have your say here:

http://www.growingstronger.ca/en/tackle_poverty.html

The latest 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction meeting is happening today in Toronto, and it's front page news in the Toronto Star. Encouraging news on one hand: Ontario looks like it is moving towards developing a comprehensive plan to reduce poverty in the province.

Discouraging news on the other hand: excuses for why decisive action is not being taken (the slowing economy) and a lack of clear targets and a comprehensive plan so far.

"Eliminating poverty in Ontario is possible. It just takes leadership and commitment— and a plan." ~25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction

That's the message from the 25 in 5 network, an alliance working in Ontario to ensure that the Liberal government keeps the promise they made during the October 2007 election: to come up with a poverty reduction strategy with targets and timetables within a year of being elected.