Wage Top-Up Dominates Question Period

The federal government’s wage top-up for front-line workers dominated question period in the legislature Wednesday.

Denis Landry, the Liberal house leader, questioned how the government chose which workers would get the top-up, which works out to around $500 a month for four months.

Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Trevor Holder said there were certain federal criteria, such as making under $18 an hour.

“They gave us the criteria, we worked with that criteria and we chose the employees in this province that we felt within the public service had stepped up under that income threshold,” said Holder.

“These were front-line people that helped out and we thought they should be recognized for it.”

Eligible employees include those working in early learning and child care facilities, home support, special care homes, community residences, group homes, homeless shelters, food banks, domestic violence outreach and transition homes.

But Landry said the Higgs government left out some front-line workers to receive the wage top-up.

He noted grocery store workers are constantly interacting with the public but did not receive the extra funding.

Premier Blaine Higgs said many retail workers already received wage top-ups through their employers.

“We must make sure that we not only provide the right compensation package where it’s needed, but we also recognize how we’re going to fund this going forward. How do we balance this going forward so there is a New Brunswick at the end of the day that people start up under,” said Higgs.