Broadbent, Ed. “What kind of Canada do we want?”

by Karl Widerquist | Oct 28, 2012 | Research

Ed Broadbent, the former leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party and the founder of the Broadbent Institute, recently wrote an opinion piece in the Toronto Star in response to a host of austerity policies that are being implemented across Canada. Broadbent wants to stimulate a national discussion on extreme income inequality and potential ways to address it.

In terms of solutions, he points to Canadians’ willingness to pay higher taxes to protect social programs and calls on the government to take leadership on reducing inequality. Broadbent includes among the ways to address inequality: upgrading income security and federal support programs, a progressive taxation system, and transfers to the provinces. The piece also advocates for the promotion of jobs, investment in early childhood and post-secondary education, and protective employment legislation.

Notably, he says we should “seriously debate the concept of a Guaranteed Basic Income that ensures a minimum level of economic security for all” and points out that we already have such a system for seniors through the Guaranteed Income Supplement. This article concludes by calling on Canadians to use collective will to demand the major changes to current social and economic arrangements that will rebalance priorities in a way that works for Canada.

This article is online at:
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1267780–what-kind-of-canada-do-we-want

Broadbent Institute, The "Towards a More Equal Canada: A Report on Canada’s economic & social equality."

by Karl Widerquist | Oct 17, 2012 | Research

On p. 21, guaranteed income is discussed ….

We should consider the idea of a guaranteed minimum income. Tom Kent, the late social policy giant who was the architect behind the Pearson-era reforms that shaped modern Canada, left behind a plea to look at such an approach. Kent argued that we should design a system to ensure a reasonable level of income for every Canadian, building on the basic income guarantee we already provide to seniors. Support would be given in the form of regular payments to those with very low incomes, phased out with rising income reported via tax returns. He believed that the federal economies of scale would provide considerable efficiencies and reduce federal/ provincial overlap and friction as provinces would focus on services (Kent 2011). Kent’s blueprints find supporters and detractors among both conservatives and progressives. There are significant issues of cost to be considered, as well as how to provide income support without discouraging work. Perhaps we could begin by providing a guaranteed income to persons with disabilities, including persons who are able to work but cannot do so on a continuing full-time basis.

The full report can be found at:
https://www.broadbentinstitute.ca/sites/default/files/documents/towards_a_more_equal_canada.pdf