Christy Clark wants the poor to stay poor...

[Rwede]

Rwede - The difference, as always, is in the details. Gordo's was a discount on the existing minimum wage.

What I am suggesting is that we leave the existing minimum wage as a starting point "training wage" and boot the minimum wage at 20 yrs old to $16/hr or more. $9.26 AUD isn't all that far off our current minimum wage. Then in future, when minimum wage increases are necessary, all "brackets" go up in lock step.

The trick of course, would be to ensure that employers didn't rort the system by firing any worker who turns 18 etc. - but then our wunnerful business folks wouldn't do that - oops, forgot how they rorted the TFW program...

Blah blah blah you hollered from the hill tops when the $6 training wage was introduced, now it's okay. Your lame attempt to put some "label" on it doesn't change the facts.

Hypocrisy knows no bounds among Dix's Dandies.

[hobbyguy]

Perhaps you missed my point about people all having intrinsic value.

Can we at least agree on that?

And if I recall, Gordo's moves on minimum wage were zero, except for introducing a "training wage" that was lower than the existing minimum wage. While you are off base as to why I personally found that to be a bad policy decision, I was indeed opposed to that reduction of minimum wages.

What I am suggesting is that we start very close to or at the current minimum wage of 10.25 and graduate it up to 16/hr (generally a minimal "living" wage") by age 20. Something like:

16: 10.25
17: 12.25
18: 14.25
19: 15.25
20: 16.00

Of course, "supply siders" will have a problem with this. Failing to recognize that is a lot of truth in the old saying "if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys" and not accepting that the corollary "if you pay peanuts, you make monkeys".

When I worked at a job where I got paid 1.25/hr I neither bust my butt nor spent any mental effort on the job. I spent my my time looking for something better and just fiddled along doing the bare minimum I could get away with. When I got something better, I put in much more effort and applied myself - but then left when they refused to give me a raise.

So if you are a "low wages are good" type, you will almost always be faced with employees that are unmotivated and don't give a rats. The really good types won't even bother to apply. And if they do, perhaps out of pressing financial need, they will do the minimum and they will leave very quickly - and your training costs are flat out wasted.

Of course that's same type of mentality that wants to cut EI to "force" people to take these crap jobs. That is what you are offering you know, crap. The "free market" in labor is telling you that folks would rather not have the crap jobs you are offering are under priced. The price of a decent job performance by a decent employee starts much higher than what you are offering.

So don't complain that all your employees are unreliable poor performing monkeys - because that what you told the market you wanted. Some are unreliable because they aren't "sick today" - they are at an interview trying to get out of your awful workplace.

[CountryAtHeart]

I can't believe how stuck up some people are. "I got an education, I am more deserving" attitude is oh so prominent here. And you did all that to have a comfortable life.

Well, if all workers who were paid $15 dollars or less all stayed home for a couple weeks and all the business' that only paid that amount shut down during that time, the "comfortable" people would not find their lives so easy anymore. But a lot of people do not find worth in others until they are needed. What a shame.

[maryjane48]

But a lot of people do not find worth in others until they are needed. What a shame.

ty for describing the harper supporters and christy supporters in canada, it needed to be said

[goatboy]

I can't believe how stuck up some people are. "I got an education, I am more deserving" attitude is oh so prominent here. And you did all that to have a comfortable life.

Well, if all workers who were paid $15 dollars or less all stayed home for a couple weeks and all the business' that only paid that amount shut down during that time, the "comfortable" people would not find their lives so easy anymore. But a lot of people do not find worth in others until they are needed. What a shame.

What you see as "I got an education, I am more deserving" attitude, I would describe as "I got an education to ensure I would have a well paying job, so I'm tired of hearing people whine about not having a well paying job without investing in their own future" attitude.

It's not about thinking you're more deserving than others but rather seeing a lot of people complaining deserving the position they find themselves in.

[Rwede]

Well, if all workers who were paid $15 dollars or less all stayed home for a couple weeks and all the business' that only paid that amount shut down during that time, the "comfortable" people would not find their lives so easy anymore. But a lot of people do not find worth in others until they are needed. What a shame.

"Comfortable" people would do just fine, as they tend to plan ahead and know how to save a few bucks to meet earnings interruptions.

Your brilliant plan would hit the least advantaged the worst, as they tend to live paycheque to paycheque.

I don't think you thought this through very well.

[CountryAtHeart]

^^ I don't think you understood what I was trying to say. It is about the sudden loss of restaurants, your coffee shops, gas stations, grocery stores closed, and for those who live in strata housing that have their yard maintenance done for them, oops, better go get a mower and trimmer. This is not about the wages lost, this is about recognizing all the different people who make your life better by doing these lower wage jobs.

And if that wouldn't bother you for a couple weeks because you are so prepared lets up it to a couple months...and again, this is not about the money the workers lose. It is about appreciating the value of these lower income workers.

[Atomoa]

Farmers and the people who produce and harvest the food you need to eat (and live) are some of the poorest people on the planet.

If it weren't for a "fruit picker", you'd die. The wage paid to the worker does not reflect the value of what they produce. Welcome to capitalism.

[A_Britishcolumbian]

crying angel, pay no attention to rude people that would deride you. a general strike is a great idea. remember poland in 81, that took only 4 hours. if some rude idiot thinks 14 million workers in poland suffered for the stand they took then i will suggest that person is not just an idiot, they are completely deceitful.

christy and her bcliberals are indeed trying to stuff the pockets of the rich and grind the poor into the dust.

[LoneWolf_53]

^^ Somewhat reminiscent of the whole pot meet kettle idiom.

[CountryAtHeart]

Just to clear things...I do not work and my husband does have a comfortable job. We consider ourselves doing ok. Especially since we still have our three adult children at home.
However, I appreciate those who put in an honest days work. And I care about the poorer class of hard workers. If there was no one willing to work for under $15/ hour I wonder how long it would take for the comfortable people to demand these services.

[hobbyguy]

I think we are debating with the empathy challenged. That's another facet of intelligence and what a person should be. I recall a passage from Robert Heinlein's book "Time Enough for Love" where amongst the qualities he describes in an ideal man is enough empathy to be able to comfort the dying.

They just don't get the point that a uni education is neither for everyone, nor does it define the value of being and intelligence.

Perhaps this list will help them open their eyes a bit: http://elitedaily.com/news/business/100-top-entrepreneurs-succeeded-college-degree/

Even their "fave" Rush Limbaugh is on the list of drop-outs!

Albert Einstein struggled with the formal education system, and failed his uni entrance exam.

And then of course, their other favorites, BCTF teachers, ALL have uni degrees...

[goatboy]

Who said anything about a Uni degree. There's plenty of other forms of education.

And while Einstein may have dropped out of school I would suggest that anyone with his intelligence would probably make out OK.

Rush Limbaugh on the other hand is an idiot and obviously dropped out of school.

[Rwede]

Farmers and the people who produce and harvest the food you need to eat (and live) are some of the poorest people on the planet.

Yeah, those brand new F350s and 4,000 ft2 houses show they are very, very poor.

If it weren't for a "fruit picker", you'd die. The wage paid to the worker does not reflect the value of what they produce. Welcome to capitalism.

I'd do just fine. You, on the other hand, might not fare so well with your inability to kill and process your own food. Survival of the fittest.

[Donald G]

If life teaches us nothing else it teaches us that;

1. Many people with more money than others are poor;

2. Many people with less money consider themselves rich.

It all depends on what you value in life and what you have the opportunity to enjoy.