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Alberta Advantage: For Alberta's Advantaged
Edmonton - Alberta may soon have the distinct disgrace of having Canada's lowest minimum wage if the Klein government doesn't take action on behalf of Alberta's working poor.
"Alberta's 'Bare Minimum' wage is the seedy underside of the Alberta advantage. Unlike other provinces, we are completely neglecting the needs of working people," said New Democrat Leader Pam Barrett.
New Brunswick's minimum wage increased by 25 cents to $5.75/ hour, Nova Scotia's minimum wage increased by 10 cents an hour to $5.70 and Prince Edward Island's minimum wage increased by 20 cents to $5.80 cents per hour. All three provinces have made commitments to increase the minimum wage again.
However, despite the fact that Alberta is one of Canada's wealthiest provinces and has a booming economy, the Conservative government can only manage a 'Bare Minimum' wage of $5.90 with no plans to increase it again.
The problem is compounded by the fact that Albertans have a higher cost of living than those in the Maritimes. In the most recent study of the Consumer Price Index, Statscan found that Alberta had a CPI of 114.6, higher than all PEI, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick which had CPIs of 109.4, 112 and 110.4. Considering these facts alone, Alberta's minimum wage should be at $6.10 for Albertan's working minimum wage jobs to enjoy the same standard of living as workers earning the same wage, for example, in PEI.
Barrett says that Alberta's "Bare Minimum" wage means that the Klein government's highly-touted reduction of welfare rolls is completely hollow.
The Edmonton Social Planning Council reiterated that point in a recent study of users of Edmonton's food bank. The study found that "The move from welfare to working status has not solved the poverty problem for these families." (Often Hungry, Sometimes Homeless)
"When the province's minimum wage isn't paying a living wage, then getting people off welfare into the workforce is an empty victory," said Barrett.