Ontario may delay 2010 minimum wage hike: McGuinty
Last Updated: Friday, March 27, 2009 | 12:45 PM ET
The Canadian Press
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The Ontario government may have to delay next year's planned minimum wage hike, Premier Dalton McGuinty said Friday.
Speaking in Ottawa, the premier said this year's 75-cent increase to $9.50 an hour from $8.75 will go ahead as planned next Wednesday.
But he said next year's rise to $10.25 an hour may have to be put off, depending on the state of the economy.
McGuinty said he will look at business conditions next year and make a decision.
Finance Minister Dwight Duncan revealed on Thursday that Ontario will rack up a projected record $14.1-billion deficit in 2009 as it commits billions to infrastructure projects and job retraining aimed at pulling the province out of the recession.
Duncan's budget anticipates Ontario will run a total deficit of $56.8 billion over the next seven years, and projects a return to balanced books no later than the 2015-2016 fiscal year.
Opposition parties have accused the Liberals of piling more taxes and debt on struggling families at the worst possible time.
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