Empirical studies on the matter carried out here in Canada are unequivocal: Raising the minimum wage leads to increased unemployment, especially among the young, who have less experience and qualifications.

The wrong approach to poverty reduction is to ignore the problem, letting the ideological conceit that a rising tide lifts all boats obscure the hard reality that many Canadians have no boat -- or access to anyone who has ever had a boat. The answer is automatic top-ups for those who fall beneath the poverty line.

We often hear that in Canada, "the rich are becoming richer while the poor are getting poorer." Fortunately, studies focusing on economic mobility in Canada tell a totally different and more accurate story. By looking at these data, it becomes clear that it is the poorest 20 per cent who enjoy the highest upward economic mobility.