B.C. Federation of Labour (BCFL) President Jim Sinclair says one thing he’s not expecting to find in Tuesday’s budget speech is a raise in the minimum wage despite the fact that the province’s $8-an-hour minimum is now the lowest in the country.

Sinclair, who passed through Cranbrook on an East Kootenay tour last week, says an increase in the minimum wage is long overdue.

“We have the highest cost of living probably in Canada and the lowest minimum wage. Eight dollars an hour is not keeping with anything. You can’t raise a family on that. You can’t do anything.”

Sinclair says virtually every other province in Canada either adjusted its minimum wage or raised it, but B.C. did nothing. And when B.C.’s high cost of living is factored into the equation, the situation is even worse, he says.

“There’s no damn way our minimum shouldn’t be higher because $10-an-hour in St. Johns, New Brunswick is the equivalent of $14-an-hour here when you consider the cost of living.”

Sinclair says he raised the minimum wage issue with city council members in every town he visited in the East Kootenay, adding the BCFL will continue its campaign that it started last year to get the minimum raised to $10-an-hour.

“We’re not giving up just because the government keeps looking the other way on this.”

Sinclair says a higher minimum wage would benefit the economy because low-income earners have little choice but to spend their money on the basics and the necessities of life. And if they have more money to spend business will benefit, especially small businesses, he says.

“I believe the majority of people, including many business people, are in favour of raising the minimum wage. It’s a disgrace the way it is now. We’re a national joke.”

Sinclair says he’s expecting many more cuts in the budget, including health authorities, school districts and government programs.

“We’re going to be losing two or three years of time when we could be building our infrastructure, dealing with homeless issues and helping all those young people who are now laid off and have apprenticeships and now they can’t finish them.”