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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, N ov em be r 1, 20 18 | 8 ABOUT US This newspaper, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 80 community publications across Ontario. This newspaper is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the news- paper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. 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OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT INSIDEHALTON.COM EDITORIAL It's amazing what a government that styles itself as being "for the people" can accomplish in a few short months to make life just a bit more miserable for so many people struggling to make it in this province. In August the Ford government cut a planned 3 per cent increase in social assistance payments in half and scrapped the basic income pilot project launched by the Liberals. As it turns out, that was just the warm-up. Now, with what it calls the Ontario Open for Business Act, the government has made it clear that the "people" it speaks for do not include those at the bottom of the heap who have been struggling for a share of the prov- ince's growing prosperity. The government says the new law will "create good- paying jobs with benefits." In reality, it will do just the opposite by clawing back planned wage increases, rights and protections contained in the former Liberal govern- ment's Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, passed late last year. That certainly isn't good for employees, and as many economists have argued it isn't good for the economy as a whole either. Some of the changes come as no surprise. Labour Minister Laurie Scott, for example, had already made it clear that the minimum wage would not rise from $14 an hour to $15 in January, as it was set to do under the Lib- erals' legislation. But the new law goes a bit further than just cancel- ling the scheduled increase, which will deprive a person on minimum wage of about $2,000 a year. It actually freezes the provincial minimum wage at $14 until Octo- ber 2020, instead of planning for it to rise with inflation. Starting in 2020, the wage will start to increase gradu- ally, but it isn't expected to reach $15 until January 2024 - a full five years after the current plan. That leaves tens of thousands of low-wage workers further behind. And it ignores numerous studies that suggest providing workers with a decent wage puts more money into the economy, which in the long term benefits everyone. Further, the new legislation also repeals the equal pay for equal work regulations, which required that casual and part-time workers doing the same work as full-time employees receive the same hourly wage. That will encourage employers to hire more people as tempo- rary help and reduce the incentive to hire full-time. The Ford government is justifying all this on the grounds that it's necessary to cut "red tape that is driv- ing jobs and investment out of our province." Falling unemployment and an influx of jobs into the GTA put the lie to that. This is not about creating jobs or being "for the people." It's about putting the boots to those at the bottom and it goes in exactly the wrong direction. ONTARIO IS TAKING A BIG STEP BACK BY FREEZING MINIMUM WAGE We know the best way to fight poverty is a job. Our schools, colleges and uni- versities give each of us the opportunity to find jobs. We train and retrain people for jobs. So whenever a gov- ernment plans its pro- grams or laws or spending it must create an environ- ment for more jobs. Yet for the past 15 years Ontario's government has stifled job creation and stagnated eco- nomic growth with over 380,000 regulatory require- ments. Your PC government understands we must take immediate action to stop excessive spending and red tape. We know that there is only one taxpayer in Oakville North-Bur- lington and that is why spending by government must go directly to job cre- ation. We must ensure that any regulation govern- ment makes must not cost businesses more money to operate and people more money to live. We know we need rules protecting things like the environment, health and safety, but unnecessary overregulation is squeez- ing businesses in every economic sector, causing businesses to charge more for their goods and servic- es, to cut staff or even to close up shop and leave On- tario altogether. That's why your govern- ment has introduced the Making Ontario Open for Business Act in the legisla- ture. Our primary goal is to target and remove unnec- essary red tape. Businesses need time to adjust to the past Liberal government's 21 per cent minimum wage increase, which is why the government is preserving the minimum wage at $14 an hour and tying increas- es to inflation starting in 2020. We will also help busi- nesses and future workers by letting the trades take on more apprentices than the law now allows. Ontario is open for busi- ness. Government is get- ting out of the way of busi- nesses large and small in Halton Region so they can create jobs. We need to make Ontario the engine of the Canadian economy again. Your government is taking action where it can make a difference, reduc- ing taxes and red tape. We want more young people in apprenticeships and train- ing for the jobs of tomor- row so they have an oppor- tunity to get not just a job, but a good job. As your MPP, I know that your government doesn't have a monopoly on good ideas and I want to hear yours. Email me at any time if you have ideas or if you need assistance - effie.triantafilopou- los@pc.ola.org. Effie Triantafilopoulos is the MPP for the Oakville North-Burlington riding. GOVERNMENT RED TAPE IS THE ENEMY OF JOB CREATION OVERREGULATION SQUEEZING BUSINESSES, SAYS EFFIE TRIANTAFILOPOULOS EFFIE TRIANTAFIL- OPOULOS Column