Anti-poverty group pushes for higher minimum wage

A New Brunswick group is pushing the new Liberal government to keep its promise to immediately raise theminimum wage rate to $10.30 an hour.

Along with Newfoundland and Labrador and the Northwest Territories,New Brunswick hasthe lowest minimum wage in Canada at $10 an hour.

Jean-Claude Basque with the New Brunswick Common Front for Social Justice says a freeze on wages in 2012 has impacted the purchasing power of minimum wage workers. He doesnt think an increase would lead to more unemployment.

It would help those workers consume more and help the economy, he said.

While an increase in the minimum wage would likely receive opposition from the business community, Basque feels they shouldnt complain about it.

They want all kinds of tax rebates that are going to be paid by people that are working. They want helpfromgovernment in their business, so they can't have it both ways, he said.

Premier Brian Gallant promised in the election that minimum wage would reach $11 dollars an hour by 2017.

Basquesays eight per cent of people in New Brunswick earned minimum wage last year.