TORONTO - As Howard Hampton prepares to step down as leader of the party he has steered for more than a decade, he sees an opportunity for the New Democrats to break through past stigma and embrace their role as the voice for struggling Ontario residents.

"People are losing their jobs by the thousands, there's a lot of work to be done, and I still don't think the McGuinty government gets it," Hampton, 56, said in an interview ahead of this week's leadership convention.

"They do not realize the social and economic pain that is being felt by people."

Hampton, a former labour lawyer and teacher, has been at the helm of the provincial NDP since taking over from former premier Bob Rae in 1996.

He has led the New Democrats through three provincial elections, and while he failed to make any real gains in popular support or the number of NDP seats in the legislature, many credit him with keeping the party alive after it lost official status.

Rae, who is now a federal Liberal, presided over one of the most challenging periods of the province's history and alienated the party's traditional labour support base with a series of austerity measures.

Hampton's one regret is his inability to win more seats in Ontario, but he insists it would be "foolish" to assume the NDP will never again form government.

"What people are starting to recognize is that Bob Rae is a Liberal, and if you reflect seriously on what he said and what he did, I think most people would recognize he's always been a Liberal," Hampton said.

"He also is becoming less and less significant in terms of the history of the province. There are going to be a whole bunch of issues that people will need New Democrats to raise."

He's proud of forcing both Conservative and Liberal governments to talk about minimum-wage increases and child poverty, as well as helping Ontario avoid getting involved with fallen energy giant Enron Corp.

"When Conservatives wanted to turn Ontario's hydroelectricity system over to Enron, and Dalton McGuinty wanted to do it even more and faster than the Conservatives, it was New Democrats who said this would be disastrous for people," he recalled.

"Now, nobody wants to talk about Enron. But frankly, seven or eight years ago both Mike Harris and Dalton McGuinty thought Enron was the sexiest thing on the continent, and couldn't get close enough to it."

Going forward, he said, the party must hold the government to account on its handling of the current economic crisis, deteriorating health care and school systems -- all while trying to rebuild its membership and raise enough money to make an effective run in the 2011 election.

Former Greenpeace Canada head Peter Tabuns, former East York mayor Michael Prue, party veteran Gilles Bisson, and Hamilton's Andrea Horwath are vying to replace Hampton on Saturday at an NDP convention in Hamilton.

Despite facing so many challenges, Hampton is ready to put the party in someone else's hands.

"It certainly hits you that your kids are growing up and that you're missing some things, and it's not likely you'll have a second chance," Hampton said between mouthfuls of mashed potatoes and roast chicken at an NDP office as his 11-year-old son Jonathan smiled and nodded.

Hampton also has a 14-year-old daughter, Sarah. His wife Shelley Martel retired from provincial politics in 2007 after 20 years as the member for the Sudbury riding of Nickel Belt.

After next weekend, Hampton said, he'll also be away from home a lot less.

"I'll probably get to spend more time in my constituency, and I'll have more time to focus on the three or four core issues that I think I can make a better contribution on," said Hampton, who will stay on as the legislature member for Kenora-Rainy River.

Hampton, an Ivy League-educated son of a mill worker, was first elected to the legislature in 1987 and led the New Democrats through dark years that saw them hurt badly by strategic voting and lose party status in 1999 and again after the 2003 election.

"He did the best anyone could have done with the hand he was dealt," said Henry Jacek, a politics professor at McMaster University, who described Hampton as a hard-working, intelligent and dedicated politician whose only downfall may have been his earnestness.

Premier Dalton McGuinty said Hampton was always determined to make the province a better place.

"I want to thank Howard Hampton for his service to his party as leader, and for his service to the people of Ontario," McGuinty said.

Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory, who will find out if he finally gets a seat in the legislature during a byelection Thursday, said he wished Ontario's political system would have allowed him to work more closely with Hampton.

His dedication to public service and the passion with which he fought for the issues he cared about are some of Hampton's greatest attributes, his political rival said.

"To have served for so long and to be able to leave with people complimenting him on his integrity and dedication is an even bigger achievement, especially in this day and age," Tory said.

As he prepared to take his son to hockey practice, Hampton wasn't willing to offer any insights into how he believes his leadership should be remembered.

"Never think about stuff like that," he said with a sideways smile.