The BC Provincial elections are less than a year away, and the NDP already made a promise to increase the minimum wage up to $15/hour.
The BC Liberals are critical of the NDP’s plans to raise the minimum wage, saying it will hurt small businesses.
Local NDP MLA Doug Donaldson says it will be phased in over four years, giving those small businesses time to adjust. He says the more money in the pockets of minimum wage earners, the more they’ll be able to spend.
“If people are struggling just to pay the bills, then there’s no money in their pockets to spend at retail stores,” says Donaldson, “Just from a fairness aspect, you have people struggling…with housing, hydro; putting nutritious food on the table because of all the increases under a liberal government.”
NDP Leader John Horgan made the announcement yesterday blaming the Liberals for keeping the minimum wage the lowest in the country.
BC’s minimum wage is the lowest at $10.45 an hour with Ontario being the highest province at $11.25, beat only by the Northwest Territories at $12.50 and Nunavut at $13.00.