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1. If Premier Wynne wants to boost low-wage worker pay, she should cut Ontario’s corporate tax rate

   The flaws in Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne’s plan to raise the pay of low-wage workers are quickly becoming apparent. On Jan. 1, the Wynne government increased Ontario’s minimum wage sharply by 21 per cent and it immediately backfired ...

2. Rather than name-calling, Premier Wynne should take responsibility for her government’s minimum wage policy

   Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne recently accused Tim Hortons franchise owners of being bullies for reducing employee benefits in response to the province’s sharp minimum wage hike. This sentiment is echoed by others who have called for a ...

3. Minimum wage hikes—negative effects may hit lower-wage regions of Ontario particularly hard

   Between now and 2019, Ontario will increase its minimum wage to $15 per hour. In total, this will be an increase of more than 30 per cent in less than a year-and-a-half. Canadian evidence consistently shows that higher minimum wages tend ...

4. Upcoming minimum wage hikes threaten younger and less-skilled Ontarians

   In January, Ontario’s minimum wage will increase to $14 an hour, up from $11.60 today. In January 2019, the wage floor will increase by another dollar to $15 per hour. There are good reasons to worry that such a rapid increase in the ...

5. Want more automation? Then raise the minimum wage

   These days the phrase “rise of the machines” has taken on a new poignancy for some Canadians. Governments across Canada are giving low-skilled workers reason to worry their jobs will be replaced by machines—thanks to plans to hike the ...

6. Obstacles to business investment in Ontario—high labour costs

   A recent study by the Fraser Institute showed that weak business investment remains a serious problem for Ontario’s economy, with important implications for the province’s medium- and long-term growth prospects. While the provincial ...

7. The evidence mounts—minimum wage hikes reduce job opportunities for vulnerable workers

   Many Canadian provinces have expressed a desire to hike their minimum wage to $15 per hour. Alberta has begun the process with incremental increases, Ontario has formally introduced a plan, and B.C.’s new government has mused about the ...

8. Ontario’s planned $15 minimum wage will likely hurt young and low-skilled workers

   Ontario’s Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs is currently touring the province to get feedback on Bill 148, which proposes various amendments to the Employment Standards Act including, among other labour policy changes, a ...

9. Rising cost of doing business in Ontario chasing away business investment

   After more than a decade of comparatively weak economic performance, there are finally some green shoots for Ontario’s economy. Unemployment in the province is at its lowest in 16 years, and the province is expected to be near the top of ...

10. Seattle’s higher minimum wage has lowered earnings for low-wage workers

    The Wynne government in Ontario recently followed Alberta’s lead, announcing a plan to move to a $15 minimum wage. British Columbia is also debating a $15 minimum wage, and the idea will no doubt continue to be hotly debated in Canada ...