B.C. minimum wage flip-flop alleged

A B.C. labour leader is accusing provincial Labour Minister Murray Coell of backing off from statements he made suggesting the Liberal government would consider raising the minimum wage.

Coell told municipal leaders Wednesday at a bearpit session at the annual convention of the Union of BC Municipalities in Whistler that raising the minimum wage is something the B.C. government would have to consider in the future.

On Thursday, Coell was less categorical.

"We're continually looking for ways to put money back into people's pockets and we'll continue to do that," Coell said.

When asked directly if a raise in the wage level was in the works, Coell said there had been no decision made and added that there had been no change in his position on the issue.

But B.C. Federation of Labour president Jim Sinclair said Coell was backing away from his earlier remarks.

"Yesterday there was a glimmer of hope after years of falling from the highest minimum wage to the lowest," said Sinclair. "And today that was slammed shut again. It's very clear he misspoke himself."

The current rate of $8 an hour is the lowest among Canadian provinces.

Earlier Thursday, B.C. NDP leader Carole James said an NDP government would raise the minimum wage to $10 an hour.