Alberta’s minimum wage freeze appears set to continue, after the United Conservative Party (UCP) government voted down a bill aimed at increasing it.
The proposed legislation, Bill 201, introduced by Calgary-Mountain View MLA Kathleen Ganley, sought to raise the minimum wage by $1 annually over the next three years.
It also aimed to eliminate the $13-per-hour youth wage differential and ensure service workers could keep their tips.
Ganley criticized the government’s decision, saying the UCP is ignoring the affordability crisis facing Albertans.
“The UCP is abandoning Albertans who are working harder than ever yet falling further behind,” she said in a statement. “While costs continue to balloon, the minimum wage hasn’t gone up for seven years.”
Currently, Alberta’s minimum wage sits at $15 an hour — the lowest in Canada. Last month, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island all raised their minimum wages, leaving Alberta behind.
When Alberta last adjusted its minimum wage in 2018, it was the highest in Canada.
The NDP argued that Bill 201 would have provided much-needed relief for workers struggling with rising living expenses.
The UCP government, however, signalled last week that it would not support the measure. Premier Danielle Smith has defended the government’s stance, warning that past increases led to youth job losses, particularly in rural areas.
However, some economists have disputed that claim, suggesting that any job losses would be minimal and insufficient to justify freezing wages indefinitely.