Government Policies Affecting Low-Income Women - Question Period

CLAUDIA CHENDER: Mr. Speaker, I'll remind the House again that it's International Women's Day. My question is for the Minster of Finance and Treasury Board.

In 2017, Nova Scotia had the highest percentage of women in the low-income category of all provinces in Canada. As of 2017, 20,000 more women are in low income compared to 2013. Our numbers have shot up while many other provinces are improving.

Will the minister acknowledge that her government's fiscal policies are driving women's wages down?

HON. KAREN CASEY « » : Mr. Speaker, thank you to the member and congratulations on having an opportunity to stand and ask a question today.

I do want to acknowledge that we use a gender lens when we are looking at all of our policies, all of our practices, and all of the programs. That gender lens goes beyond gender to look at equalization and making sure that we provide equal opportunity for all Nova Scotians. Every one of us, I think it has been stated here in the House, wants to see that representation of females rising and increasing. We have looked at, and do provide, supports in our programs where there are incentives for businesses and for government to hire women in our force.

CLAUDIA CHENDER: I thank the minister for that answer, although respectfully I'm not sure that gender lens is working. During the NDP mandate, the median income for women increased by $4,000; since the Liberals came to power, it has fallen by $500 - and I'll table that.

Mr. Speaker, we know that jobs that have been traditionally considered women's work are underpaid and the women are overrepresented in low-wage sectors. One powerful way to raise wages for these women would be to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. The majority of workers who would benefit from that are women.

So far that's a policy this government refuses to support and I'd like to take this opportunity, on International Women's Day, to invite the minister: Will she support giving over 70,000 Nova Scotian women a raise by increasing the minimum wage meaningfully to $15 an hour?

KAREN CASEY: Mr. Speaker, the member raises a question of minimum wage that has been raised here in the House before. These are conversations that I have had as a minister, and previous ministers have had, in particular with the impact that minimum wage would have not only on the women who may be in the workforce, but on the employers, who will be looking at the costs to them to raise that minimum wage.

That's a conversation that has been had. It's a conversation that will continue, and I would be pleased to take the comments from the member to that group of small businesses.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage.