NDP Lies About Facts Again

Today, NDP leader Carole James again demonstrated she doesn’t have even a basic understanding of B.C.’s economy. Rather than announcing policies to support workers, James continued to promote a reckless economic plan that will destroy jobs. Here’s what James said, and the facts behind the spin:

NDP CLAIM: “One of the best ways to stimulate B.C.’s economy is to put money in the pockets of the families who will spend it. A $10 minimum wage will put millions of dollars back into local economies.” - WRONG

FACT: If Carole James had bothered to read the research paper on minimum wage that she cited in her own news release today she would know this claim is not true. The Fraser Institute study cited by the NDP says that, based on conservative estimates, the NDP’s proposal to increase the minimum wage would result in up to 52,000 jobs lost. The report goes on to say that “Increasing B.C.’s minimum wage to $10 per hour will have a profoundly negative effect on employment opportunities for young and low-skill workers, and will have almost no effect on those most in need of income and a job.” You can read the report here. Only the NDP would think adding $450 million in new costs on small business, destroying over 50,000 jobs and introducing polices that will have a “profoundly negative effect on employment” would somehow “stimulate B.C.’s economy.”

NDP CLAIM: “Raising the minimum wage will not result in job loss.” - WRONG

FACT: Again, the only research cited by the NDP in their news release and at their event today says that increasing the minimum wage to $10 would result in up to 52,000 jobs lost. The report goes on to say virtually all “existing academic research from Canada and around the world.... finds the overwhelming consensus is that increasing the minimum wage has a significant negative impact on employment, particularly for younger workers.” Again, the report is right here.

NDP CLAIM: Ontario's five-year, 50 per cent increase to its minimum wage has not caused job losses. - WRONG

FACT: A separate study prepared for the Ontario Ministry of Finance on exactly this issue determined that a 25 per cent increase in the minimum wage would result in youth job losses of between 7.5 to 30 per cent. In B.C. this would conservatively mean losing over 50,000 jobs: Read it for yourself here. Furthermore, according to Statistics Canada, the same year Ontario began increasing the minimum wage (2003) employment growth dropped by almost 50 per cent. In fact, employment growth in that province went from the highest in country in 2003 to below the Canadian average every following year. Check out the stats right here.

Yet again the NDP are basing one of their major economic policies on a report they clearly have not read. If they had, they likely would not cite a report in their own news release that clearly demonstrates every claim they make is simply not true.