Ed Broadbent, the former leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party and the founder of the Broadbent Institute, recently wrote an opinion piece in the Toronto Star in response to a host of austerity policies that are being implemented across Canada. Broadbent wants to stimulate a national discussion on extreme income inequality and potential ways to address it.
In terms of solutions, he points to Canadians’ willingness to pay higher taxes to protect social programs and calls on the government to take leadership on reducing inequality. Broadbent includes among the ways to address inequality: upgrading income security and federal support programs, a progressive taxation system, and transfers to the provinces. The piece also advocates for the promotion of jobs, investment in early childhood and post-secondary education, and protective employment legislation.
Notably, he says we should “seriously debate the concept of a Guaranteed Basic Income that ensures a minimum level of economic security for all” and points out that we already have such a system for seniors through the Guaranteed Income Supplement. This article concludes by calling on Canadians to use collective will to demand the major changes to current social and economic arrangements that will rebalance priorities in a way that works for Canada.
This article is online at:
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1267780–what-kind-of-canada-do-we-want
