KAMLOOPS – In a room of 450 committed campaigners eager to defeat the Christy Clark government, BC NDP Leader John Horgan said an NDP government would get to a $15 per hour minimum wage in its first term.
“It’s not good enough that people are working full time or more just to keep their heads above water, and it’s not good enough that this generation will actually be worse off than their parents when it comes to affordability and opportunity,” Horgan said.
“Christy Clark was elected on her promise to put BC families first, but in fact people have never been her priority. She is focused on the needs of her wealthy and well-connected supporters at the expense of the rest of us,” Horgan said.
“Christy Clark has chosen to keep BC’s minimum wage one of the lowest in Canada.
“Minimum wage is no longer something earned just by teenagers in their first jobs. Students, parents, seniors, new Canadians in every part of the economy are paid minimum wage,” Horgan said.
“The premier, who takes a $50,000-a-year private top-up to her nearly $200,000 public salary, thinks $10.45 an hour is enough for people to get by on. I disagree.
“I will give British Columbians a raise. The minimum wage needs to be $15 an hour, and New Democrats are going to get it there,” Horgan said.