On March 27, Community Services Minister Elaine Taylor announced a 27-cent rise in the minimum wage to $9.27.
When questioned by Kevin Barr about the paltry increase, Taylor twice informed the legislature that the Yukon Party government was “looking forward to the outcome of [the Employment Standards Board’s] review” of the Yukon’s minimum wage.
It turns out, in fact, that the Employment Standards Board had already submitted its recommendation of an increase in the minimum wage to $10.30 on January 30, 2012 - more than two months ago.
Suddenly today, April 2, following media reports that the Employment Standards Board had submitted its recommendation of an increase to $10.30 on January 30, 2012, Taylor announced in the legislature that she would be recommending adoption of the board’s proposed minimum wage to her cabinet colleagues.
What are we to make of this sudden epiphany?
Yes, we should be grateful that the Yukon Party government is going to do the right thing - belatedly and only when caught in its own tangle of misinformation.
We might hope that this sudden recognition of the correctness of one board’s decision might have an impact on how the recommendations of other boards are received. That would represent a fair and balanced approach to government.
Rick Griffiths
Whitehorse