UCP government votes down Opposition bill to raise minimum wage

By Medicine Hat News on November 18, 2025.

Alberta’s NDP released a statement Monday criticizing the UCP government for voting down a bill to increase the minimum wage.

Bill 201, the Protect Workers’ Pay Act, would have brought in an increase to the minimum wage, eliminated the youth wage differential and protected tips for service workers across the province, says the NDP.

“Today UCP MLAs had the chance to stand with workers, vote for higher wages and help put the basics back within reach of more Albertans,” said Calgary-Mountain View MLA and bill sponsor Kathleen Ganley. “Instead, the UCP decided to vote against workers and to keep Alberta’s minimum wage the lowest in the country.”

The NDP says the bill was designed to allow for business owners to adjust for cost increases, and aligned with recommendations from the Edmonton Chamber’s report.

“This was going to be a balanced approach to dealing with the urgent need to provide fair wages to workers who often have to work multiple jobs or rely on food banks to get by,” said Ganley. “The UCP is ignoring the impact of the affordability crisis it created. While costs continue to balloon, the minimum wage hasn’t gone up for seven years.”

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