Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Presently, our minimum wage is $13.46. Presently, we are subsidizing everyone in the territory such that no one should be making less than $18 an hour. Will the Minister raise the minimum wage? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Depending on how long I'm here, I'm sure, at some point I might. The way that this works is that there is a minimum wage committee. It's made up of non-governmental organizations, industries, and there are representatives from the GNWT, as well. This group of people look at economic climate in the territory, they look at employment statistics, and they produce a report. That report should have been on my desk already, but the recent report from Finance regarding the effects of COVID-19 was deemed important enough that the committee got back together. They are considering that information, as well. I hope to have that report maybe by next week. I'll have a look at it, see what the recommendations in there are. Perhaps then, I'll be able to have a different answer to the Member's question, but who knows? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I really look forward to that report. Right now, my understanding is: there are less than 100 people that make less than $13.46 in the Northwest Territories. The vast majority of those people work in bars. I, myself, was a bartender for many years, and I know the paycheque almost becomes irrelevant because you make the money through tips. I want to raise the minimum wage. I want to go high, but I don't want to get pushback from the hospitality industry who's suffering. Many jurisdictions have made a lower rate for liquor servers. Is the Minister willing to do that?
I'll see what the report recommends. It's a complete waste of all of these people's time if I'm going to stand up here and answer these questions without ever seeing what is recommended. I understand what the Member is saying. I've worked in the industry, as well. I know that you make lower wages because you live off the tips. If that's something that they recommend, then that's something I'd consider. However, you don't get tips everywhere you work. Maybe Yellowknife isn't bad, but I know there are places where the tipping isn't great. We can't paint the NWT with the same brush as the rest of Canada.
The way that works in most jurisdictions is: the tips do not bring you up past minimum wage, then their employer must make up the difference. It's not a matter of: you don't get tips, you're working at a lower rate. Another exemption that I think would allow us to go higher is a lot of jurisdictions have a training wage. They have a wage for people in their teenaged years. This is the other argument that's often said why we can't raise the minimum wage because people have first-time jobs or they're just training. Is the Minister willing to implement a training wage for the minimum wage?
I don't think we can discriminate in the territory based on age and so to say that someone is under a certain age so they make less because we're calling it a training age. I had jobs when I was younger. I wasn't training. I was training people sometimes. I was working with people older than me, and I was training them. I don't want to get in trouble with any sort of human rights legislation, but again, I'm open to anything. I can't wait to see that report, and as soon as I receive it, I'll make sure that it's shared with the Standing Committee on Social Development. I'll be happy to have a conversation with them prior to making a decision.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Yellowknife North.
Mr. Speaker, I am trying to advocate for those exemptions so we can get a path to a living wage. I recognize that, the first few months on a job, perhaps it is justified to pay someone a lower rate. However, I think, if we're going to get in trouble with human rights, it's probably the fact that $13.46 at full-time is less than $30,000 a year. People are living in poverty if they earn our minimum wage. The market has moved well beyond this. You cannot hire someone in this territory, a full-time adult, and pay them $13.46. We have simply made our minimum wage irrelevant. Is the Minister willing to get a path forward on how we can get a living wage implemented in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
That took a turn. The Member was advocating for an increased minimum wage, then said the minimum wage is irrelevant, and now wants a living wage. No, I don't have a path to a living wage. Frankly, I don't have a path to ensuring that everyone makes $25-plus in the territory. I'm really not sure how we would get to that at this point. It would take a rethinking of a lot of small businesses. I know of businesses in Hay River that would go under if they had to pay everyone $25 an hour, so no, I can't commit to that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
