Liberals say minimum wage hike helps people more than income tax cut
TORONTO — A proposal from Ontario’s new Tory leader to eliminate income tax for cash-strapped workers in the province is coming under fire from critics and the governing Liberals, who say raising the minimum wage provides more relief for those struggling to make ends meet.
Labour Minister Kevin Flynn took aim at Doug Ford’s plan in a news conference Thursday morning, saying the latest move by the Progressive Conservative leader and his party shows they “just don’t care about workers.”
“I think Doug Ford’s beginning to emerge as a person that’s very, very interested in helping a group of people, but I think it’s the wealthy elites,” Flynn said. “I think it’s those people who are doing very well in today’s economy and what he’s doing is he’s really ignoring those people that really need the help the most.”
Ford, who was selected to lead the Opposition last weekend, has said that if the Tories form government after the spring election, he would freeze the minimum wage at $14 rather than bumping it to $15 next year as the Liberals plan.