On Wednesday Saskatchewan Labour Minister, David Forbes, announced the governments plan to increase minimum wage.  It will be increased over three intervals.  The first increase will increase the minimum wage from the current $7.95 to $8.25 on January 1st, 2008.  Then it will be increased again May 1, 2008 to $8.60 per hour.  Then the final increase will occur one year after that, May 1 2009, and set the minimum wage to $9.25 per hour.  Increasing the minimum wage can be helpful and harmful to business.  On one hand it might cause more people to look for jobs and might increase the amount of people willing to work.  On the other hand, doing business will cost more as more money will be spent on labour.  Right now with a booming economy, finding employees is hard to do and this wage increase might help out.  Could this be a pre election tactic by the NDP to gain votes?  Most probably, expect an election call soon.