Premier says harmonized minimum wage for Atlantic Canada could come as soon as 2019
Michael Gorman | CBC News | Posted: April 4, 2018 9:00 AM | Last Updated: April 4, 2018
Provincial NDP renews call for a $15/hour minimum wage, but harmonized wage would not be that high
Premier Stephen McNeil says he hopes the Atlantic provinces can have a harmonized minimum wage as early as April 2019.
"Changes come on April 1, so whether it's next year or the year after, but we're continuing to work with [other provinces] to make that happen," he told reporters at Province House on Tuesday.
"I think a lot of the details will be ironed out between now and the fall is my hope."
Minimum wage increased this week
Nova Scotia's minimum wage went up by 15 cents to $11 an hour this week. The rate in Newfoundland and Labrador is $11.15. The minimum wage is $11.25 in New Brunswick and $11.55 on P.E.I.
McNeil said the Atlantic premiers would discuss the subject again at their next meeting in June and they're hoping to have some recommendations from staff at that time. The goal, he said, is finding a common number everyone can reach at the same time.
The only thing McNeil could say for certain is that common number will not be $15 an hour.
NDP calls for $15 an hour
Although the NDP again introduced a bill that would require a three-year staged increase to get to a $15 minimum wage, the premier argued such a move can actually have a negative effect by seeing hours reduced for workers.
NDP Leader Gary Burrill said McNeil is misinformed.
"I don't know what the source is that the premier is referring to," he said.
"Jobs are in fact increased because there is economic activity increased, because people have a little bit of spare money, which on $11 an hour you never have."
Comparing 'a mouse with a horse'
The premier said his government has focused on things such as increasing the basic personal exemption for taxes, increased access to pre-primary programs and increasing the poverty reduction credit, all steps he said that can help people get ahead without worrying about inflation eating into gains.
Burrill said tax changes are all good and helpful, but it's comparing "a mouse with a horse."
"When we talk about $15 an hour, we're talking about a fundamental transformation in the living of 130,000 people in the province. It's not $100, $200 or $300, this is thousands of dollars every year."
The highest minimum wage in Canada is $14 an hour in Ontario. The lowest is in Saskatchewan, at $10.96. Ontario and Alberta both have plans to get to $15 an hour, but McNeil said he's not concerned those moves could lure away workers from here.
"What we're seeing here is that more young people want to live here," he said.
"It's unrelated to the minimum wage; it's actually [about] job opportunity."