In 2014, the Liberal party passed Policy Resolution 100, pledging to create a “Basic Annual Income” for Canada. Brean’s article discusses this resolution in context of the Liberal party’s recent electoral success and plans for the current government. By providing thorough context of the basic income movement and support in Canada—from recent publicity in Alberta, Prince Edward Island, and other places as well as the research conducted by Evelyn Forget at the University of Manitoba on the “Mincome” experiment in the 1970s—Brean’s article concisely summarizes many of the key factors in the debate on a basic income in Canada.
Joseph Brean, “Prospect of minimum income gaining steam as Canada clamours for new ways to manage welfare and benefits”, Montreal Gazette, 27 December 2015.
The article in the link (Montreal Gazette) tries to make the claim that abuse of BIG is a concern that should worry us all. I think that is nonsense.
For one thing, most people would not stop working. Who wants to live on basic income alone? That’s crazy, and sounds boring. Anyone who has lived on even the highest levels of public assistance knows that there is no Mercedes Benz, no Mansion, no Island vacation 4 times a year.
And another problem with that “concern” is what we might define as work. I mean, could volunteering be considered work? Providing assistance to schools, theaters, service organizations, and other non-paid positions could be considered a kind of work as a show of gratitude also.
Pursuing higher education also involves quite a bit of work — mental work, but still work — and I recall that the Dauphin experiment reveals that enrollment in college increased during the period of the Mincome trial.
Sure, there will be a lot of loafers… we have them already. So I really don’t see how Mincome could possibly make that worse.
And what if the solution to the free riders problem were… “so let them.” Let them sleep late. Let them sit and watch TV. Drink Beer. Whatever the heck. If it means they don’t come to work, maybe the rest of us who do come to work can finally get something done? Who needs THAT kind of person in a workplace in the first place?
Thank you. Now I’ll go back to my hole and hide. Hopefully I will not be stoned too severely for saying these heretical things.
There is certainly a great deal to learn about this issue. I love all the points you’ve made.