François Legault acknowledged Thursday that it is difficult to live with dignity in Quebec when you earn $18 an hour.
The Prime Minister made this statement during an exchange in the House with the parliamentary leader of Québec solidaire (QS), Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois.
The latter demanded an increase in the minimum wage, from $14.25 to $18 an hour, which Mr. Legault refused him, according to whom the average wage should instead be increased.
“We want people who earn $25 an hour, which is roughly the average in Quebec, to increase to $26, $27, $28. That’s our goal. We have a lot more ambition than QS,” he said.
In his response, François Legault however admitted that “it is difficult to arrive with $18 an hour, especially when you have children”.
A “shocking” and “very revealing” admission, reacted in an interview with Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois.
He points out that 800,000 people in Quebec earn less than $18 an hour. “What François Legault recognized today is that he is very aware that these 800,000 people are not able to arrive and that he has chosen not to change anything in this situation. »
“He chooses to keep the minimum wage at a level that does not even allow them to live in dignity. It’s a choice he makes consciously,” Mr. Nadeau-Dubois said indignantly.
“It’s like saying, ‘I choose to leave people who work full time in poverty. For me, it is very serious, ”added the co-spokesperson for Québec solidaire.
What are the effects of an increase in the “floor” salary?
According to Mr. Nadeau-Dubois, it is quite possible to work to increase the average wage, while raising the “floor” wage, which is the minimum wage.
The MNA for Gouin gave the example of Ontario, which increased the minimum wage twice in the last year to reach $15.50, without there being any “economic cataclysm”.
“The sky did not fall on their heads,” he insisted at the Blue Salon.
For his part, Mr. Legault affirms that we must be “prudent”: an excessive increase in the minimum wage could “cause jobs to be lost”, he warned.
“Wages, on average, in Ontario are about 8% higher,” he said. If we exceed 50% of the salary [médian] for the minimum wage, we will create more negative effects than positive ones. »
The Legault government promises a slight increase in the minimum wage in 2023, while QS wants to see it rise to $18 per hour “all at once” or “gradually” over the next year.