by Josh Martin | Jan 18, 2016 | News
Following their announcement of support for a basic income, Saskatchewan’s New Democrats have received congratulations from the Saskatchewan Green Party for joining such calls. In correspondence with Basic Income News, Victor Lau, the Leader of the Sask Green Party, noted that the NDP debated the Sask Green Party in the last general election in 2011 and repudiated the Green Party’s support for the basic income, instead choosing to support social welfare and the social workers who are employed to administer those programs. Since then, Saskatchewan’s NDP has changed its tune.
The Saskatchewan Green Party has costed out a guaranteed basic income, titled the Sask Assured Income for Everyone, in their “Real Change” platform for 2016.
For more information on the Saskatchewan Green Party, here is the link for their website.
For more information on the Saskatchewan New Democrats, here is the link for their website.
by Josh Martin | Jan 17, 2016 | News
Shulevitz’s excellent article frames the basic income debate around gendered issues in the labor market and economy. She references the recent basic income developments in Finland, Canada, and the Netherlands, but her main points concern the benefits a basic income would bring to women by finally rewarding care work, which is disproportionately carried out by women. This article is a wonderful introduction to the basic income debate and gives much needed time discussing its impact on women.
Judith Shulevitz, “It’s Payback Time for Women”, New York Times, 8 January 2016.
by Josh Martin | Jan 16, 2016 | News
Andy Stern, the former President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and a major voice on unions in America, will publish a book on June 14, 2016, titled Raising the Floor: How a Universal Basic Income Can Renew Our Economy and Rebuild the American Dream. Stern’s book will look at the future relationship of labor markets and technology through interviews with economists, futurists, labor leaders, CEOs, investment bankers, entrepreneurs, and political leaders. Stern believes the foundation for economic prosperity for all Americans starts with a universal basic income, and while the idea may not be mainstream yet, he hopes to create a movement that forces the political establishment to take action on the issue.
This will not be Stern’s first book. A Country That Works called for unions to be dominant vehicles in promoting social reforms and was successful enough to land Stern an appearance on The Colbert Report in 2006 to promote the book.
To view the book on Amazon, click here.
by Josh Martin | Jan 15, 2016 | News
A recent poll conducted by TNS Gallup in November and December of 2015 found that 51 percent of Finnish respondents supported the idea of a basic income, while only 23 percent outright opposed the idea.
A majority of respondents agreed that a basic income would make it easier to start a business and mitigate financial difficulties, with the most support coming from entrepreneurs, students, and unemployed citizens.
However, 69 percent of respondents believed that setting the basic income level would lead to heated disagreements between political parties. On this note, those least likely to support a basic income came from the populist Finns Party or the centre-right National Coalition Party, while those most likely to support it adhered to the Left Alliance and Green parties. All things considered, however, the proportion of Finns supporting a basic income seems to be going down from a staggering 70 percent previously to 51 percent now.
Recent news out of Finland confirmed plans for a basic income pilot project from 2017 to 2019, joining other countries like the Netherlands and Switzerland in seriously debating the topic.
To learn more, view this article from Yle.
by Josh Martin | Jan 14, 2016 | News
Australia’s BIEN affiliate, Basic Income Guarantee Australia, is no longer the only established group promoting a basic income in the country. A new group, Basic Income Australia, is holding its first meetup in Sydney on January 21st. Citing that innovation now holds a central role in Australian government, Joffre Balce and Shane Greenup will speak at this first meetup to discuss how a guaranteed basic income for all Australians might work.
To learn more about both organizations, here are their websites:
Basic Income Guarantee Australia
Basic Income Australia
