October 1, 2025RED FM News DeskAlberta Premier Danielle Smith is defending her province’s minimum wage as it prepares to become the lowest in the country. Smith argued Tuesday that Alberta offers other advantages, such as no provincial sales tax, and said increasing the wage would not address the province’s high youth unemployment rate. Since 2019, a lower minimum wage of $13 an hour has applied to students under 18 in Alberta. The Opposition NDP has urged the United Conservative Party government to raise the minimum wage and tie it to inflation. Smith, however, said her focus is on employer incentive programs aimed at creating more jobs for young people.