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2TuesdayJanuary202015POLITICSLABOURNEWSBRIEFSRobbermakesoffwithartwinefromDancingMooseCafInthemorninghoursofJan.15anassailantbrokeintoYel-lowknifesDancingMooseCafandstoleanumberofitemsfromthesmallrestaurant.Fourlargecarvingsandapproxi-mately24bottlesofwinearereportedmissing.Imagesofasuspectwerecaughtonanightcamera.Theyappeartobemalewearingalightcolouredparkawithadarkstripeonthesidealightbaseballcapanddarkshoes.YellowknifeRCMParerequestingthepublicsassistancetoidentifythethief.NothingdetectedafterbombthreatsendsYellowknifestudentshomeAthoroughsearchofSt.PatricksHighSchoolandWeledehCatholicSchoolfollowingabombthreatJan.16turnedupnoexplosivedevicessaidYellowknifeRCMP.TheyalongwiththeCrimeReductionUnitGeneralInvestigationSec-tionandtheGDivisionRCMPEmergencyResponseTeamsentstudentshomeforthedaywhileconductingthesearch.Thoughnodeviceswereuncoveredaninvestigationintothethreatcontinues.FortSmithresidentsmistakebirthdaylanternsforUFOSomecitizensofFortSmithwereconvincedtheyspottedUFOsyingoverheadintheearlyhoursofJan.11asco-louredlightsfannedoutanddottedtheskyabovethesmalltown.Numerouspeopleturnedtosocialmediapostingim-agesandvideoofthephenomenonasittookplace.Answer-ingtothescareresidentNicolaOKeefesteppeduptoadmitthelightsweresimply40Chineselanternsreleasedinhon-ourofherbirthdayasurprisefromherhusband.Stillsomeothersaroundtownremainunconvinced.NWTminimumwagejumpingfromlowesttohighestinCanadaByMEAGANWOHLBERGGovernmentofficialsintheNorthwestTerritoriesan-nouncedlastweekthattheterritorysminimumwagewillrisefrom10to12.50asofJune12015.TheincreasewasbasedonndingsoftheMinimumWageCommitteewhichwasap-pointedbyEmploymentMinis-terJacksonLaffertyin2013toresearchengagestakeholdersandprovideoptionsforamini-mumwagerateintheNWT.Laffertysaidthedecisiontoraisetherateisabouten-suringpeoplearefairlycom-pensatedfortheirwork.ThemovetoincreasetheminimumwageispartofongoinggovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritorieseffortstosupportthepeopleoftheNWTandensuretheyhaveopportunitiespossibilitiesandafairwagehesaidlastTuesdayaftermakingtheannouncement.Inassemblingitsndingsthecommitteetookintocon-siderationsocialandeconomicfactorssuchascostoflivingandsurveyedminimumwagesacrossthecountrybeforepro-vidingtheministerwiththreeoptionstoconsider.Therstwasanincreasetotheminimumwagebasedonthehourlyratethesec-ondwasanincreasetothebaserateacostoflivingoff-setandanannualconsumerpriceindexCPIadjustmentmethodthethirdoptionwastosetalivingwageof18.75perhourwithvariablecom-munityallowanceandanan-nualCPIadjustment.Laffertychosethefirstoptionraisingthewagetoaratehethoughtwouldbecompetitivewiththerestofthecountrybenecialtominimumwageworkersandmanageableforemployers.CommitteememberBenMcDonaldsaidanincreaseinminimumwageiskeytoboostingqualityoflifeforpeopleintheNorthemployedinservicesectorsmanyofwhomarenewCanadianswithfamiliestosupport.Thereportestimatesthata10percentincreaseintheminimumwageacrossCanadawillcostbe-tween92300and321300jobs.ItcostsalottoliveintheNorthandeven12.50isnotenoughtomakeagoofitMcDonaldsaid.Youcanworkafullweekandstillbelivinginpoverty.Stilltherearesomewhofeeltheincreaseistooextremeandwillhaveadevastatingimpactonbusinesses.AmberRuddyaseniorpolicyanalystfortheCanadianFederationofIndependentBusinessCFIBrepresentingtheNWTsaidsheisdisappointedwiththewagehike.ItsnottherightthingtoshowtheterritoryisopenforbusinessshepostedonTwitterfollowingtheannouncement.Minimumwageincreasesdolittletoreducepoverty.Mostareyounglivewiththeirfamiliesandarenotfromlow-incomehouseholdsshesaid.Thebestwaytohelpminimumwageearnersistoletthemkeepmoreoftheirhardearnedcashbyraisingthebasicpersonalincometaxexemption.RuddycitedaCFIBreportthatclaimsjumpsinminimumwagehurtlow-incomeworkersbyforcingsmallbusinessestoabsorbcoststhroughreducedhoursreducedtrainingandevenjobcuts.Shealsoopenlyquestionedhowseriouslyemployerinter-estswereconsideredduringthecommitteesdeliberationsiftheonlythreeoptionsgivenwerewageincreases.McDonaldsaidtherec-ommendationsinthecom-mitteesreportweremadeunanimouslyafterafulsomedebatethatcarriedonforseveralmonths.Thecommitteewascom-posedoftwomembersrep-resentingthebusinesscom-munitytwomembersrepre-sentingemployeeinterestsandonememberrepresent-ingsocialagenciesalongwithaneconomistandstatisticianfromtheGNWT.McDonaldsaidmoststud-iesshowaminimumwageneedstobeincreasedbymorethan50percenttohavethenegativeimpactsonemploy-ersthatRuddyisreferringto.Thebumpupto12.50perhourintheNWTconstitutesa45percentincrease.AsarepresentativeofthesocialjusticecoalitionAl-ternativesNorthhesaidheadvocatesforalivingwagebasedonthecostsoflivingineachcommunity.Minimumwagescurrentlyrangebetween10and11acrossCanada.ItcostsalottoliveintheNorthandeven12.50anhourisnotenoughtomakeagoofit.BenMcDonaldMinimumWageCommitteeTheNWTpreviouslyat10perhournowhasthehighestminimumwageinthecountryat12.50.ImageRetailCouncilofCanada