EDMONTON, AB (June 29, 2015): Without listening to Alberta job creators, the NDP are pushing through a dramatic 50 per cent increase to the minimum wage without doing any economic analysis on how it will impact employment, the Wildrose Official Opposition said today.
“There has been zero economic analysis of the impact of the dramatic increase to the minimum wage,” Wildrose Leader Brian Jean said. “We need to put on the brakes, listen to chambers, small businesses and job creators to make sure we understand the full impact of this planned 50 per cent increase.”
Today’s announcement will put Alberta only five cents behind Ontario for the highest minimum wage among all provinces by Oct. 2015. As the Edmonton and Calgary Chambers pointed out in their report last week, Alberta’s after tax minimum wage will clearly be the highest of all provinces at $11.20. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business has estimated the policy could lead to 50,000 to 183,000 jobs lost or not created, and a 14 to 28 per cent increase in unemployment for youth.
Recently, the NDP voted down a Wildrose amendment to shrink small business taxes from 3 per cent to 2 per cent in order to bring relief for entrepreneurs and small business owners in light of several policies that will hurt economic growth.
“The NDP have good intentions, but this policy will only hurt the people it’s supposed to help the most,” Wildrose Shadow Jobs Minister Grant Hunter said. “We need a more moderate approach that works alongside our job creators, protects employment for youth and our most vulnerable, and creates more concrete poverty reduction actions instead of taking steps to hurt job growth.”