There's lots of talk about the minimum wage going into this Spring's election.

The NDP raised it to $15 an hour last year, but not everyone's on board.

In particular small businesses and restaurants.

UCP Leader Jason Kenney has even mused about a two tier system, with kids under-18 and restaurant workers, who also get tips, seeing a lower minimum wage.

High River Chamber of Commerce President Steven Muth says historically it makes sense.

"I think a lot of people, especially in government, have lost the view of what the concept of minimum wage was initially intended to do. It was initially intended to protect the part time workers, the young students. Those types of people that were not in a full time position, from being taken advantage of by businesses."

Muth says the service industry has traditionally been among the biggest villains when it comes to using the minimum wage to not pay people properly.

 

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