by Kate McFarland | May 31, 2016 | News
At its national convention in Winnipeg last week, the Liberal Party of Canada — the oldest federal political party in Canada, and the country’s current majority party — passed a resolution in favor of a guaranteed basic income.
This Priority Resolution states, “That the Liberal Party of Canada, in consultation with the provinces, develop a poverty reduction strategy aimed at providing a minimum guaranteed income.”
The rationale for the resolution draws upon Dr. Evelyn Forget’s analysis of the the success of the Mincome experiments, conducted in Dauphin, Manitoba in the late 1970s:
The ever growing gap between the wealthy and the poor in Canada will lead to social unrest, increased crime rates and violence. Research indicates that a guaranteed basic income can reduce this gap, and create social security while being cost neutral. …
… Dr. Evelyn Forget conducted an analysis of the [Mincome] program in 2009 which was published in 2011. Forget found that in the period that mincome was administered, hospital visits dropped 8.5%, with fewer incidents of work-related injuries, and fewer emergency room visits from car accidents and domestic abuse. Additionally, the period saw a reduction in rates of psychiatric hospitalization, and in the number of mental illness-related consultations with health professionals.
Roderick Benns, reporting on the resolution in Leaders and Legacies, contextualizes this breakthrough amid the growing popularity of universal basic income in Canada:
Quebec is currently looking into a form of basic income and Ontario has committed to doing a pilot project beginning this year to study the effects of a minimum income. Prince Edward Island has also expressed strong interest.
Senator Art Eggleton has been relentlessly pushing this issue, as has his retired counterpart, retired Conservative Senator Hugh Segal.
Mayors across Canada are also on board. In fact, no less than nine provincial and territorial capital leaders support basic income or at least pilot projects, with innumerable smaller city and town mayors across the nation declaring their support as well.
References:
Liberal Party of Canada, “Poverty Reduction: Minimum Income,” WPG 2016.
Daniel Tencer, “Basic Income Now Officially Liberal Party Policy,” Huff Post, May 30, 2016.
Roderick Benns, “Liberals ready to shake up Canada’s social policy with basic income guarantee,” Leaders and Legacies, May 30, 2016.
Thanks to my supporters on Patreon. (To see how you too can support my work for Basic Income News, click the link.)
by Kate McFarland | May 25, 2016 | News
Basic income has been a topic of serious discussion in Canada this year, with Ontario preparing to trial a basic income, and Nova Scotia and Manitoba also earnestly debating the idea.
Among its most prominent advocates are Dr. Evelyn Forget, an economist at the University of Manitoba noted for her analysis of the data from the Mincome experiment, and Dr. Danielle Martin, physician and Vice President of Women’s College Hospital.
In this brief interview by Evidence Network.ca, Dr. Forget and Dr. Martin “explain why Canada should consider implementing a basic income.”
Listen to the interview here:
“A guaranteed annual income would improve health and reduce poverty,” Troy Media, 2016.
by USBIG | May 14, 2016 | News
Karl Widerquist making live posts on Reddit from the 15th North American Basic Income Guarantee Congress throughout the conference, May 12-15h, 2016.
by Kate McFarland | May 12, 2016 | News
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
Thanks to my supporters on Patreon. (Click the link to see how you too can support my work for Basic Income News.)
by Jenna van Draanen | May 1, 2016 | News
On April 9, 2016, the Basic Income Nova Scotia group held a conference titled “Basic Income Guarantee: The Time is Right” at the Halifax Central Library to discuss Basic Income in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The conference attracted many individuals from the east coast of Canada, and beyond. In attendance at the conference was the Halifax Mayor, Mike Savage. He publicly tweeted his support for BI from the conference saying, “Now is the time to take a serious look at basic annual guaranteed income. Today’s talks are needed to end poverty.”
In addition, Waye Mason, the local councillor for Halifax South Downtown, said that he was a fan of the idea of basic income, about which he said, “you’re talking about the best way to help people who are in serious need in terms of economic and health issues that are driven by not having enough money to live comfortably above the poverty line.” He noted that it was “time we really took steps toward implementing it.”
Rob Rainer, from the Basic Income Canada Network, was among those who spoke at the conference. He said, “this is actually a very, very good return on investment. For every dollar we invest in basic income, we’re going to yield multiple dollars in benefits downstream.”
For more on the conference, see the following sources:
Steve Silva, “‘Time to take a serious look at basic annual guaranteed income’: Halifax mayor” Global News, April 9, 2016
Rachel Ward, “Halifax basic income supporters explore poverty issues,” CBC, April 9, 2016
Aleksandra Sagan, “Work woes, evolving technology behind push for basic income,” The Canadian Press, Global News, April 17, 2016
