Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Social Programs has reviewed Bill 17, An Act to Amend the Labour Standards Act. This bill will raise the minimum wage in the Northwest Territories to $8.25 per hour and remove previous sections of the act that stated persons under the age of 16 could be paid a lower minimum wage and people living off the highway could be paid a higher minimum wage.

Members had no major concerns with this legislation, given that it is generally understood that the effective minimum wage for adults in the Northwest Territories is actually in the $10 per hour range. It was noted by committee Members this legislation could have an effect on small businesses that hire part-time workers under the age of 16. It is not clear and the department did not conduct an actual research or consultation on whether these businesses could afford to pay the higher wages and whether employment opportunities for persons under the age of 16 would be affected.

The committee also noted that in the future, it would be more appropriate to examine minimum wages at least once during the term of an Assembly, rather than doing it once every 12 years. This concludes the committee's comments on Bill 17. Individual Members of the committee may have questions and comments as we proceed. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.