Thoughts on BC Politics and More

I’m not sure why, however I woke up this morning wondering what the minimum wages were for BC, and across western Canada. Both the provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba had increases to their minimum wages on October 1 st ... Saskatchewan to $11.32 per hour, while in Manitoba a 30-cent increase took it to $11.65. Meantime in Alberta, they have a two-step minimum wage.   Those under 18 receiving $13 per hour, while those over 18 receive $15 per hour. Here in BC, the minimum wage is $13.85 an hour; that rate was set back on June 1 st of this year.   ' Living' wage requirement in BC according to the Living Wage for Families Campaign According to a BC government media release , our provincial increases are the result of recommendations from the independent Fair Wages Commission, established in 2017 to advise government on an approach to raising provincial minimum wages with increases that are regular, measured and predictable . T...

Our provincial government continually crows about how well our economy is doing --- but how accurate is that?? Just a few short days ago the statistics department for the government of BC announced there were 378 consumer bankruptcies in July – a 26.8% year over year increase .   Along with that, business bankruptcies climbed 166.7%. This past Spring, there were 335 bankruptcies filed by consumers in British Columbia in April, a slight (-6.2%) decrease from the same month of 2018. Meanwhile, the number of business bankruptcies was unchanged. One month later?   In May there were 375 bankruptcies filed by consumers in British Columbia in May … and the number of business bankruptcies was higher, climbing 16.7% to seven. I don’t know about how you feel, however bankruptcy numbers to me would be a strong indication of how well the economy is doing, or not doing.   From the numbers I just indicated, that doesn’t give me confidence in t...

The Premiers of Ontario, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories have today once again expressed a unified voice to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Bills C-69 and C-48. The joint letter from the five provinces and N.W.T. outlines concerns about the economic impact of the legislation proposed by the House of Commons and requests immediate action to refine or eliminate the bills. Dear Prime Minister,    We are writing on behalf of the Governments of Ontario, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta and the Northwest Territories. Collectively, our five provinces and territory represent 59 per cent of the Canadian population and 63 per cent of Canada’s GDP. We are central to Canada’s economy and prosperity, and it is of the utmost importance that you consider our concerns with bills C-69 and C-48 .   Canadians across the country are unified in their concern about the economic imp...

Rick Peterson (back) and Brad Schell (front) Rick Peterson and Brad Schell have been invited, on behalf of Suits and Boots, to speak in front of the Senate Standing Committee – Energy, the Environmental and Natural Resources Committee on April 9 th .   Mr Peterson and Mr, Schell will appear before the Senate committee examining Bill C-69. They plan to talk about why this bill is bad for Canada, and working Canadians. Recently they have called for stories, and perspectives, to carry into senate committee hearings on Bill C-69 – this has already generated dozens of responses. Clearly, Canadians working the resource sectors are both passionate and well-informed. Here is an example of what’s been written and sent to Suits and Boots: " The pain and difficulty cannot be understated. This is not a small-scale, regional problem. This is much larger and on its current course is likely to get much worse. Getting a national resource strategy correct should be a top ...

Suits and Boots is calling on the federal government to shelve controversial Bill C-69 and launch a Royal Commission on Resource Development in Canada.   The call for a Royal Commission comes as the Senate Committee on Energy, Environment and Natural Resources prepares to start its study of Bill C-69 on February 6.   " (It's) the single most important 90-days in Canada's resource sector " - Suits and Boots founder Rick Peterson “ It’s clear from our work and conversations with thousands of Canadians from coast-to-coast that Bill C-69 is simply a non-starter for Canadians from all walks of life ,” said Rick Peterson, an Edmonton-based investment industry executive and Suits and Boots founder. “ This is a wandering, overly ambitious, poorly written piece of legislation that will stall pipeline and other resource projects in the courts and destroy any future investment appetite for Canada’s resource sector ,” he said.   This isn't...