Minimum Wage Policy Review / Standing Committee on the Economy

Harry Chase: Yes. Just for the record, with regard to Alberta's so-called tax advantage, presenter after presenter pointed out that the majority of people on low-income wage, which are women, 60 per cent, don't earn enough to receive the so-called tax benefits. Now, you pointed out that we're fourth lowest in the minimum wage category. I think that's extremely important, and I don't think the point at which our taxes are calculated provides an advantage to these people who are earning dirt cheap wages. I think that's extremely important. That's not an Alberta advantage for low-income people...
--Just  . . .

Minimum Wage Policy Review / Standing Committee on the Economy

Harry Chase (Deputy Chair): I very much appreciate your comments. They’ve echoed what other presenters have indicated, such as that two-thirds of the individuals on minimum wage are women. As you noted, over half of those are over 25. So this notion of, you know, an addition to one teenager’s allowance has been debunked numerous times, and hopefully the committee’s report will demonstrate that. Also, from your presentation it seems to be rather obvious that instead of in Alberta facing a glass ceiling, you’re facing a lead lid.
The example that you provided of one woman’s testimony  . . .

Minimum Wage Policy Review: Standing Committee on the Economy

Harry Chase (Deputy Chair): Thank you. Bill, you touched on child poverty in Alberta. Between 2008 and 2009 the figure was 78,000 Alberta children living below the poverty line. The large part of the argument goes that if you increase the minimum wage, you’ll have fewer jobs available. I know you’ve refuted that with some of your statistics. I’m wondering. In terms of the cost of poverty, in terms of education, physical and mental wellness, incarceration, addiction, suicide versus the cost of a minimum wage or approaching, better still, the living wage, what role does the government  . . .

Minimum Wage Policy Review / Standing Committee on the Economy

Harry Chase (Deputy Chair): A cynic might look at minimum wage as a negative incentive. If you keep it low enough, you’ll force people to upgrade to improve their skills. But Alberta’s reality is that in terms of the highest dropout rate 52 per cent of First Nations students fail to complete high school in three years. Likewise, 75 per cent of English as a second language or immigrant students fail to complete high school in three years. Add to that that we have in Alberta the lowest postsecondary enrolment, at 14 per cent, and among the highest tuition rates in Canada. Also, look at  . . .

Advanced Education and Technology / Public Accounts Committee

Harry Chase: On October 7, 2009, the Faculty Association
of the University of Calgary wrote a letter to the board of governors expressing their alarm and anger over the $4.75 million pension plan to the president and listed several recommendations on this matter. The University of Calgary Board of Governors this past
year also lost millions of dollars from its endowment funds due to high-risk asset-backed commercial paper investments. Is the ministry aware of any forensic audit of the University of Calgary’s finances that took place after the Auditor General’s findings?
Dr. Trimbee:  . . .