Steven Del Duca stopped in London for campaigning and some birthday cake on Wednesday.
The Ontario Liberal leader held a campaign rally with London North Centre candidate Kate Graham - on Graham's birthday.
"If you believe in progress in this province, if you believe in truly confronting the affordability crisis that families here in London are facing, if you believe in publicly funded education, restoring optional grade 13, shrinking class sizes to 20 across the board, having a real plan for a safe and clear and healthy environment, building in true economic dignity for workers and their families, supporting small business entrepreneurs who truly fire Ontario's economy, if you believe in this kind of progress, there is only one alternative to stop the Ford Conservatives on June 2nd, and that is our Ontario Liberal Party," Del Duca told cheering supporters in Graham's parents backyard in north London.
Graham finished third in the Liberal leadership race in 2019, behind Del Duca and Michael Coteau.
She was joined at the rally by London-Fanshawe candidate Zeba Hashimi and London West candidate Vanessa Lalonde.
"Come June 2nd, Kate, Vanessa and Zeba will be Liberal MPP's," Del Duca told the audience as his remarks wrapped up.
In a media scrum after his prepared remarks, Del Duca was pressed on the party's position on Ontario Disability Support Program rates.
"Our plan does include raising the rates by 20% over two years, that's part of the plan, the other part of the plan is to increase the maximum amount that those receiving ODSP can earn on an annual basis from 2,400 up to 6,000 before their benefits are clawed back, our plan also builds in protection for inflation," he said. "The Green's are doubling (ODSP rates) but I haven't seen a 19 point affordability pledge from the Greens in their platform."
On the Craig Needles Podcast this week, economist Mike Moffatt said the Liberal, Progressive Conservative, and NDP plans for ODSP rates fall short.
"We're one of the richest countries in the world, why is that we have so many homeless people sleeping in parks, and why do we think an appropriate solution to that is to send in the police?," he said. "What are we really trying to accomplish as a province?"
Ontario's election is on June 2.