An ‘Island-made’ problem

The Summerside and Charlottetown chambers of commerce have only one valid point about changes to minimum wage. There should be more than a one-month notice when minimum wage is to increase. This doesn’t mean waiting till the summer is over to increase the minimum wage. Businesses in Atlantic Canada have been warned for years that young people are acquiring post secondary education and leaving the region and businesses have to raise wages. “Employment Journey” had written about students from Holland College and UPEI not wanting part-time minimum wage jobs. The two chambers of commerce are right in that business and corporate taxes are too high. However 62 per cent of our island GDP comes from government spending. The problem is too many businesses on P.E. I. rely on government to attract industries and develop off island markets. Workers on P.E.I. have been exploited by companies, and Islanders have been stuck writing bad business loans.

The chambers of commerce are correct that taxes are too high. I wrote about the province demanding more money for health care but carrying a large bureaucracy. The province has to cut the size of government in Summerside and Charlottetown not cut rural schools.

It is the business community and province that have to change, starting with indexing income taxes to the rate of inflation. I don’t listen to businesses and industries that complain of a labour shortage; the problem is Island-made and the Summerside and Charlottetown chambers of commerce complaining about increases in minimum wage are contributing to the problem.

John W.A. Curtis, Summerside