When Christy Clark first took office, she proclaimed herself a premier for working families.
Shortly after, she made an announcement increasing the minimum wage within the province.
Although I cannot disagree the minimum wage should be increased, I believe the situations this increase affects should have been looked into more.
We have two children, and both myself and my wife work. Full-time paid care for our children is a must, as we do not have family who are able to help out.
In order to meet our work schedules as well as juggle our kids school times, we decided to have a live-in nanny.
The increase in the minimum wage directly hits our pocketbook and will hit it hard.
When the wage is increased to $8.75, it costs us an extra $30 a week. Manageable.
When the wage will be increased to $10.25, it will cost us an extra $4,680 a year. I can’t speak for everybody else in the province, but neither myself, nor my wife received a wage increase of this amount.
There has been no increase to the amount we can deduct for room and board on a weekly basis (it’s higher in Ontario than in B.C.), nor has there been an increase in the amount we can claim for child care expenses.
I can only assume that the average cost of daycare within the province will also rise due to these circumstances.
We have spoken with other families who share the same concerns, and obviously, nobody is hearing them.
Chalk this situation up to one less family vacation or sports program that our family can afford this year.
I find it hard to believe the government has not heard of this concern before.
Is this going to be addressed, or do we have to accept this much like we have to accept a toll over the new Port Mann Bridge?
Brent Colmer
