On April 18, 2016, an Oxford-style debate on basic income was held at the Wolf Performance Hall in London, Ontario.
During the event, two basic income supporters, James Mulvale (Dean of the Faculty of Social Work, University of Manitoba) and Chandra Pasma (Policy Analyst, Ottawa), faced off against Mike Moffatt (Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario) and Margot Young (Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia).
The debate was open to the public, and, according to the moderator, it was well attended despite (alas!) taking place in a room with no windows on a sunny day.
Prior to debate, attendees were polled on whether they agreed, disagreed, or were undecided about the following motion: “Be it resolved that every Canadian should receive a Basic Income Guarantee.”
After hearing the four experts express their arguments for and against the motion, attendees were again on polled. The winning side was determined by assessing the audience’s change in opinion during the debate.
So, who won?
Well, I wouldn’t want to include any spoilers. Watch the debate on vimeo to find out!
Photo of Downtown London, Ontario CC Mathew Campbell, Wikimedia Commons
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