Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is defending her province’s minimum wage as it is once again set to become the lowest in Canada.

Minimum wage hikes will kick in Wednesday in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, leaving Alberta the lowest at $15 an hour.

But Smith says Alberta has offsetting benefits, such as no provincial sales tax, and a boost in minimum wage would not help the province deal with a high youth unemployment rate.

Alberta's current rate of $15 an hour was set in 2018 by then-premier Rachel Notley's NDP government, making it, at the time, the highest minimum wage in Canada.

But Alberta has not adjusted the rate since, while other provinces have boosted theirs.

A separate minimum wage for students under 18 in Alberta has been set at $13 an

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