While watching Tuesday's legislative assembly sitting, I was horrified to hear classist and infantilizing remarks that Minister Brad Trivers made about young working-class individuals. In response to a broader conversation around inadequate wages and labour protections for young workers, Minister Trivers said “I think what we need from our elected officials is we need people who are going to support the youth, not encourage them to be victims.”
As a young Islander, I thought that this was an incredibly hurtful and ill-thought out remark. While I am extremely lucky to be able to work from home, the majority of people in my age bracket are not so lucky. The front-line workers who have been keeping our province afloat during a pandemic, including grocery store workers, cleaning staff and retail staff, cannot simply work from home and often do not have paid sick leave from their employers. These individuals are essential workers who are facing an incredible amount of personal risk in going to work every day and interacting with the public, as evidenced by this recent outbreak that has primarily impacted low-wage earners.
To assert that paying these workers a living wage and providing them with basic labour protections is akin to coddling these workers is offensive. We should be thanking low-wage frontline workers, not insulting them based on their age.
Earlier in the legislative session Premier Dennis King and Minister of Economic Growth Matthew MacKay both admitted that $13 an hour (the minimum wage of P.E.I. as of April 1) is not a livable wage. Youth in this province have inherited a housing crisis, a mental health-care crisis, and an economy that offers very few well-paying jobs regardless of education level. What youth in this province need and deserve are fair wages and safe workplaces, not a stern lecture from a minister who should frankly know better.
Jill MacIntyre,
Charlottetown
