by Karl Widerquist | Apr 5, 2014 | News
Robert Ghiz - from CBC News
Robert Ghiz, the Premier of Prince Edward Island (PEI), might—or might not—be interested in a BIG pilot project in the province. He announced in the provincial legislature on March 27 that he is interested in having a pilot project on “the Guaranteed Livable Income” (GLI) in PEI, according to reports from both the Charlottetown Guardian and CBC News. He said he will not move toward formal preparation right now, but he is currently discussing how it would work. He hopes that after national elections this fall, the new government will be interested in a pilot project, possibly in PEI.
GLI is a fairly common word for BIG in Canada, and Ghiz made his remarks in the context of two studies about BIG, but it is not certain whether Ghiz has a genuine BIG in mind for the possible pilot. According to the Charlottetown Guardian, Ghiz clarified that a GLI would not mean everyone would get a salary from government. “If you’re still capable of working, you’re not going to qualify for a guaranteed livable income if there’s a job available to you, it’s for those people in our society that need help.” That statement conflicts with BIG in either the form of a negative income tax or an unconditional basic income. So, it is unclear at this point what Premier Ghiz means by GLI.
For more on this issue see the following articles:
Teresa Wright, “Guaranteed livable income a possibility for P.E.I., premier says,” The Guardian (Charlottetown, PEI, Canada), April 03, 2014.
CBC News “Guaranteed livable income plan possible, Ghiz confirms: Premier would like to see P.E.I. as centre of pilot project,” CBC News, Apr 04, 2014.
by Karl Widerquist | Apr 3, 2014 | News
The next General Assembly of the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) will be held on Sunday, June 29, 2014, at the conclusion of the 15th International BIEN Congress. All life-members of BIEN are invited to attend. For information on becoming a life member, go to:
https://www.basicincome.or/bien/membership.html.
Elections for the 2014-2016 Executive Committee and chair of the International Board of BIEN will be held at the General Assembly. All life-members of BIEN are eligible to run for office and to vote in the election. Information on the offices of the EC are available on the BIEN website, www.basicincome.org
Nominations and seconds of candidates can be made by BIEN life-members until the day before the GA meeting by email to biensecretary@gmail.com or in writing at the Congress. Persons making nominations should confirm the willingness of the candidate to serve. Nominations should specify 1. the position for which the nomination is being made, 2. the name of the candidate, 3. the person making the nomination, and 4. the person seconding the nomination.
I will circulate the agenda for the GA and any proposed amendments to the statutes (available at https://basicincome.org/bien/aboutbien.html) no later than May 29th, 2014. Please send any questions or comments to biensecretary@gmail.com.
If you are a life member of BIEN and did not receive this message by email, send your updated email address to
biensecretary@gmail.comOn behalf of the Executive Committee,
Almaz Zelleke
Secretary-Treasurer, BIEN
by BICN | Mar 9, 2014 | News
[Rob Rainer, BICN]
At the Liberal Party of Canada’s biennial convention February 20-23, 2014, held in Montreal, party members voted in favour of two policy resolutions in support of basic income. Resolution #100 was passed as one of 18 “priority” resolutions: see Creating a Basic Annual Income to be Designed and Implemented for a Fair Economy. Resolution #97 was passed as one of 14 resolutions stemming from convention workshops: see Basic Income Supplement: Testing a Dignified Approach to Income Security for Working-Age Canadians. The 32 resolutions passed at the convention (out of more than 160 brought to the floor) are not binding upon the Party’s leadership. However, there is a requirement for the leadership to respond to them. At the least, it is apparent that within the Liberal Party of Canada, as also within the Green Party of Canada, there is explicit openness to and support for basic income. We are aware, too, of degrees of support for basic income within the Conservative and New Democratic parties. This demonstrates once again basic income’s appeal across the political spectrum.
by Karl Widerquist | Feb 15, 2014 | Research
This essay includes Basic Income as its third recommendation and protections for the precariat as its fourth recommendation.
Michael Valpy, “Opinion, How to Put Canada Back Together Again: Four big recommendations for repairing the tears in our social fabric,” the Tyee: News. Culture. Solutions. 3 Jan 2014.
by Josh Martin | Feb 9, 2014 | News
Rob Rainer, Director of The BIG Push Campaign in Canada, has called upon Canadian basic income supporters to send him brief testimonials on the difference basic income could mean in their lives. By collecting these testimonials Canadians everywhere will learn about the merits of a basic income.
Rob Rainer is Director of The BIG Push campaign. (The BIG Push Campaign)
Read his full letter below:
Dear basic income colleagues,
I am pleased today to share Toronto-based artist Graham Kent’s beautiful, short testimonial on the importance of basic income to unlocking the creative impulse within us all. I also wish to acknowledge Graham as one of the newer members of the growing national team of activists aligning with The BIG Push campaign – welcome Graham!
On behalf of the campaign I warmly invite further testimonials on the difference basic income could mean in your life and/or the lives of your fellow Canadians. If you would like to provide such a testimonial please send to me a short narrative (up to 400 words) or short video (1-3 minutes). We aim to collect several hundred such testimonials from across Canada to help reflect the need for and opportunity of basic income.
Best regards,
Rob
Rob Rainer
Director, The BIG Push Campaign
www.thebigpush.net
On Twitter: @Push_for_BIG
613-314-7755; rob.causeworth@gmail.com
