SASKATOON — Scott Moe believes even a one-dollar increase in the minimum wage in the province would benefit families and individuals. He noted that Saskatchewan remains one of the most affordable jurisdictions in the country to work and live.
The minimum wage in Saskatchewan and three other provinces increased on Tuesday, Oct. 1. Saskatchewan employees are now paid $15 an hour, up from $14. Still, it remains the lowest in Canada, along with Alberta.
Ontario's minimum wage is $17.20 per hour, up from $16.55 per hour, and Prince Edward Island's went up for the second straight year to $16 after a 40-cent increase in 2023. Manitoba's minimum wage is $15.80 per hour, a 50-cent increase. British Columbia's minimum wage is $17.40, the highest of all the provinces, while Nunavut's is $19 an hour.
"As I said, in Saskatchewan, we have the lowest cost of living today, the lowest inflationary rate, and now we have the highest tax-free threshold. Those who might be working at the lower income spectrum or minimum wage are not paying income tax in this province," said Moe, who is running for the Rosthern-Shellbrook riding.
"If we were to form a government on Oct. 28, we would add to the already 112,000 people who are not paying income tax, [who] did pay income tax under the NDP, another 54,000 for a total of 166,000 people not paying income tax.
He said that the tax-free threshold is more significant in the take-home pay for families of minimum-wage earners in the province, which is considered substantial in any jurisdiction in the nation, adding that despite the inflation, Saskatchewan has consistently ranked in the top three for being the most affordable place to live and work, thanks to a strong economy that allows the government to invest in community safety, education, and healthcare.
"We understand that Saskatchewan residents are facing inflationary pressures like all other Canadians are, although our inflationary pressures are the lowest in the nation. We have arguably the most affordable place with the lowest inflation rate. So, what we're being exposed to here is less than other Canadians, from a cost-of-living challenge," said Moe.
"You will hear about some very targeted initiatives in the next few days that are helping Saskatchewan people with the affordability and inflationary challenges that we're experiencing. Again, our province has the lowest cost of living in the nation. Our province has the nation's lowest inflation rate, but we still feel the cost of living pressures that other Canadians are."
He added that a worker's take-home pay is a different metric. Suppose the Saskatchewan Party gets re-elected to form a government. In that case, the announcement of an income tax reduction on Tuesday, Oct. 1, will give minimum-wage earners and workers in the lower income brackets who do not pay provincial tax more money in their pockets.
"[We have] a sustainable plan that can be explained from a financial perspective that is helping alleviate some of the cost of living or affordability challenges Saskatchewan families are feeling because they are most certainly real."
Moe also said a Saskatchewan Party provincial government would continue talking with the federal government to remove the consumer-based carbon tax, which the Saskatchewan NDP had supported.
"[The carbon tax] is a strict and only tax on families with virtually no reduction in emissions that is evident in any way. This is a tax that the NDP has supported since its inception, provincially and federally, by propping up the federal government and allowing this to happen. And now they are at the last minute before the election saying: "Oh no, we didn't believe in that. We think of something else now.' Well, Saskatchewan people aren't going to buy that," said Moe.
Still in last place
Opposition Leader Carla Beck, however, sees things differently. The $1 increase is not enough for Saskatchewan residents to keep up with the high costs of utilities, food, and other necessities.
"It still puts us in last place regarding minimum wage across the country. And I think it's in a wide variety of factors that are keeping Saskatchewan people from being able to pay their bills, keeping them up at night, keeping us in this province having some of the highest rates of food bank usage amongst people who are working full-time, the highest food bank usage amongst children," said Beck.
"It's just another way that this government doesn't seem to understand the struggles of the Saskatchewan people. We plan to create better services and invest in and bet on our small businesses, not increase their taxes, as the Saskatchewan Party is set to do next July. We want to see more jobs and bigger paychecks. We want to see Saskatchewan people be able to pay their bills, afford to keep a roof over their heads, clothe their kids, and maybe take a vacation now and then."
Beck said they would focus on addressing the cost of living in the province after hearing people's concerns during their door-to-door meetings, just like Saskatoon Meewasin candidate Nathaniel Teed had mentioned when he campaigned in the May 2022 by-election.
"We've been doing a lot of door-knocking for the last few years. We were starting to hear people who had never struggled before talk about the fact that they were worried about how they would pay their bills. They were worried if they could put their kids in hockey or dance that year. When we had the by-elections in Regina last year, we heard that again, and we had people in tears, talking about how when they went to the grocery store every week, it seemed like they could get less and less. Sometimes, we had seniors deciding between paying for groceries or their medication," said Beck.
The Regina-Lakewood candidate believes in the people of Saskatchewan, who are practical and hardworking, want and are proud of their work, and do not need a government telling them how great their lives are.
"People know the struggles they're facing. They need a government that will work with them, understand their struggles and deliver the change people across this province seek. We have traditionally been a relatively affordable place for people to live. Still, I've heard from experts within the housing industry that we are rapidly losing that affordability, especially when you pair that with the lowest in the country, minimum wage," said Beck.
"So, while all of that was going on, the Saskatchewan Party also decided to change how rental payments were paid for those on social assistance with the [Saskatchewan Income Support] program. When the government signalled that they were going to do that, everyone, I mean from anti-poverty activists to those in emergency services on the front line to landlords, said this is a terrible idea, this is going to result in homelessness, this is going to result in people having their power. Their heat is turned off, resulting in fewer rentals on the market. And it has done precisely that. This government has to own its record."
She accused the Saskatchewan Party of being a government that illustrates an unwillingness or inability to listen, work with people, take advice, and find solutions to some of the province's problems, like homelessness, where people living on the streets braved freezing conditions during winter.
"One of those concerns, I would put forward, is the affordability of the daily costs. There's a much larger opportunity for the province to work with the federal government on reducing some of the taxes that we have seen from the federal level that will have a true impact on the groceries that we purchase every day in the regulatory environment and how we produce the food and the fuel and the fertilizer that we utilize every day. We look forward to that opportunity as well. So, with our value proposition and campaign, we'll ask the people of this province for their support going into this election. And part of that ask will be to have a provincial government that can represent and represent vigorously with the federal government," said Beck.
