Alberta’s minimum wage freeze appears set to continue, after the United Conservative Party (UCP) government voted down a bill aimed at increasing it.

The proposed legislation, Bill 201, introduced by Calgary-Mountain View MLA Kathleen Ganley, sought to raise the minimum wage by $1 annually over the next three years.

It also aimed to eliminate the $13-per-hour youth wage differential and ensure service workers could keep their tips.

Ganley criticized the government’s decision, saying the UCP is ignoring the affordability crisis facing Albertans.

“The UCP is abandoning Albertans who are working harder than ever yet falling further behind,” she said in a statement. “While costs continue to balloon, the minimum wage hasn’t gone up for seven years.”

Currently, Alberta’s minimum wage sits a

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