by Jenna van Draanen | Aug 28, 2015 | News
The Pirate Party of Canada has explicitly made a basic income guarantee one of four key components of their platform. As a national election is upcoming, the party has publicized several of their key issues and has made both a video and an infographic describing the benefits of a basic income in Canada and how it is attainable without raising taxes.
For more information on their platform and the benefits of basic income in Canada, see: their video here and their infographic here. You can learn more about the Pirate Party on their website at https://www.pirateparty.ca/
by Denis Flinn | Aug 20, 2015 | News
Roderick Benns
SUMMARY: This article discusses Canada’s need to address a basic income guarantee, and how Prince Edward Island is leading the way with all-party commitment to basic income guarantee policy, at least at some level. All eyes are now upon them to see how this commitment unfolds.
For other articles by Roderick Benns, click here
Roderick Benns, “Canada looking to PEI for basic income guarantee” The Guardian. August 10, 2015
by Josh Martin | Jul 15, 2015 | News
Following the declarations of support for a basic income guarantee by Mayor Don Iveson of Edmonton and Mayor Naheed Nenshi of Calgary, the Prince Edward Island (PEI) Campaign for a Basic Income Guarantee (C-BIG) has called on the provinces’ politicians to seize this political momentum for a basic income. All four political party leaders in PEI have gone on record in support of basic income, and C-BIG hopes to generate enough momentum for basic income to culminate in a pilot project in PEI.
For more information, see the following links:
Anne Wheatley, “Campaign calls on P.E.I. politicians to join Calgary and Edmonton mayors in backing basic income guarantee”, Campaign for a Basic Income Guarantee, 10 July 2015.
Roderick Benns, “Alberta’s big city mayors bring capacity crowd to their feet at national summit on poverty”, Leaders and Legacies, 7 May 2015.
Marie Burge, “P.E.I. ideal place to pilot basic income guarantee”, The Guardian, 10 April 2014.
by Will Wachtmeister | Jun 19, 2015 | News
Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson has launched the idea of pioneering Canadian basic income together with the fellow Albertan city of Calgary.
Iveson said the evidence is “overwhelming” for introducing a basic income guarantee for all Canadians and believes Alberta’s two largest cities should host initial pilot schemes.
The mayor of Edmonton also said the two cities should closely involve the new center-left government of Alberta.
Iveson said that Edmonton and Calgary “may be in a position to pilot some different solutions” and noted that as partners they may be able to assist the Province of Alberta implement a basic income guarantee pilot.
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi early last month [May 9 2015] made a strong commitment to BIG and is currently building support among fellow Canadian city leaders. Iveson said that mayors like himself “can help move the needle on public acceptance” towards basic income, given Canada’s non-partisan mayoral tradition.
Rachel Notley, leader of the center-left Alberta New Democratic Party, assumed office as province premier on 24 May [2015] marking the end of an unbroken 44-year period of center-right rule in the province.
Iveson said there was scope to build pro-basic income momentum across the political spectrum, including among conservatives.
For other stories on this topic, see these sources:
Roderick Benns, “Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson speaks out in favour of a basic income guarantee,” Leaders and Legacies, June 1, 2015
Roderick Benns, “Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi vows to take ‘leadership’ on basic income guarantee issue,” Leaders and Legacies, May 9, 2015
by Jenna van Draanen | Jun 17, 2015 | News
Former Canadian Senator Hugh Segal has been a long-time advocate for basic income in Canada. In a recent interview, Segal notes that the nature of work is changing and he comments on the willingness to protect companies from economic crisis but not to protect individual people. Segal says that a basic income guarantee should not be about political affiliations and says, ““Whether left or right, this idea is attractive for all. Just give the money to the people living in poverty who will know what to do with it.”
For more about Hugh Segal’s endorsement of basic income see:
Roderick Benns, “Time to start treating our own citizens as well as we do corporations: Hugh Segal.” Leaders and Legacies. May 26, 2015.
