Time has come to raise B.C.'s minimum wage: committee

In a significant departure from Liberal government policy, the Liberal-dominated finance committee says it's time to raise B.C.'s minimum wage.
In a report issued Friday, the committee recommended the provincial government "increase the minimum wage in small increments with appropriate advance notice."
British Columbia's minimum wage is $8 per hour -- the lowest rate in the country -- and has not been changed for nine years. There's also a $6-an-hour training wage.
"The discussions around minimum wage need to start," John Les, Liberal MLA and committee chair, said in an interview. "Even the retail council folks and the food and restaurant association people were alluding to that," he added, speaking of a series of consultations the committee conducted around the province during September and October.
The recommendat ion to increase the minimum wage represents a significant shift for the government, which in February 2009 specifically promised not to raise it.
"Now is not the time to impose hundreds of millions in new costs on small businesses through an increased minimum wage that will mean more job losses, will depress job creation and will hurt those it purports to help," the government said in its throne speech at the time.
Asked Friday about the recommendation, Minister of Labour Iain Black said raising the minimum wage is something he will have to discuss with his Liberal colleagues before making any decisions.
"What the recommendation of this report provides -- it's another opportunity to examine and discuss the issue of minimum wage with my cabinet and caucus colleagues in the weeks and days ahead," said Black, the minister responsible for the decision about the minimum wage.
"Our concern about raising the minimum wage has always been, and will always be, job losses," he added.
"There are far-reaching and very complex implications when it changes and we have to be very sure that we won't hurt low-income British Columbians, which, ironically is the very group the minimum wage policy is designed to protect."
New Democratic Party finance critic Bruce Ralston said he thinks it is far too late for an incremental approach.
"We've fallen in British Columbia so far behind that you do need a jump," he said, reiterating his party's belief the wage should be immediately increased to $10 per hour, and then indexed to the cost of living.
The provincial government is scheduled to deliver its next budget on Feb. 15.
However, Finance Minister Colin Hansen said on Friday it is not yet clear what that document will include, given the party might not have a new leader in place by then to replace Premier Gordon Campbell, who announced last week he will resign.
The B.C. Liberal Party executive will meet today to set a date for the party's leadership convention, and Hansen said much will depend on what it decides.
"If the leadership vote takes place after the 15th of February, then I would think it would require a different approach to the budget than normal," he said.
"In the absence of a new premier being in place, we would proceed with tabling a budget that would meet what is legislatively required, but at the same time, leave any significant decisions and as much flexibility as possible, until such time as a new premier was in place," he added, saying such a budget would seek to maintain the status quo as much as possible and not include any major new policy decisions.
The select standing committee on finance and government services is charged each year with consulting the public and a variety of organizations, and then recommending what should be included in the new budget.
NDP members abandoned the committee in protest earlier this month after Campbell announced a major cut to personal income taxes. They believed he should have delayed any significant budget decisions until after receiving the committee's recommendations.