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 Dejan Tachevski | Jan 2, 2016 | News
Basic Income is an idea that has been gaining popularity amongst Canadians. The Green Party has made basic income one of the most important planks of their platform, tying it to their anti-poverty efforts and elder care strategy.
Dubbing their “Guaranteed Livable Income” (GLI), the Greens would use “a single universal, unconditional cash benefit delivered through the tax system” to replace the current complex system of federal and provincial support.
In a recent article, Huffington Post Canada sat down with party leader Elizabeth May to discuss why providing a basic income to all Canadians would pay off for Canada. The interview provides valuable information about the reasons why she and other Greens believe that the “Guaranteed Livable Income” is the perfect anti-poverty measure.
For more information, read the whole article here: https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/10/06/basic-income-canada-green-party-elizabeth-may_n_8246800.html
by Joe Timothy | Dec 24, 2015 | News
Kingston City Council in Ontario province is the first Canadian municipality to endorse a basic income guarantee (BIG). In a vote held on Tuesday, December 15, the policy idea was unanimously endorsed with a 13-0 outcome in favour. The successful motion calls for a “national discussion of a Basic Income Guarantee for all Canadians”. It also asks for provincial and federal governments to investigate and develop the measure at the national level. The motion will be sent to all municipalities in Ontario with a request to endorse the initiative.
According to the approved text, the rationale for a BIG is the growing income insecurity and inequality, and the inadequacy of the current welfare system to address these issues. The motion states that:
A basic income guarantee would reduce income insufficiency, insecurity, and inequality and ensure everyone an income sufficient to meet basic needs and live in dignity regardless of work status.
One of the biggest supporters of the outcome was former Kingston-area senator Hugh Segal. He has been an advocate for some form of basic income guarantee for decades, and took great pride in this result. Speaking to the local daily Kingston Whig-Standard, he stated that the “Council has shown tremendous courage and real leadership.” He went on to say that “it’s fiscally responsible and it responds to reality in terms of need… Give the money to people because they know where to spend it.”
This result comes at a time of change in the Canadian political landscape with the recent victory Justin Trudeau’s Liberals in the national elections. Toni Pickard, a retired law professor from Kingston University and co-founder of the Kingston Action Group for a Basic Income Guarantee, was interviewed by the same newspaper. She stressed that “the progress exceeds our hopes, to some degrees our imaginations. We expected maybe 20 years before any political take-up”. She remarked that Trudeau, the new Prime Minister, has declared poverty reduction is a top priority. A guaranteed basic income could be a way to help him make great strides in that area.
This is the first elected body in Canada to endorse the introduction of a basic income guarantee. In recent months, several Canadian mayors have spoken in favour of BIG. At the national level, the Canadian Medical Association endorsed BIG, and the National Women’s Liberal Commission, the women’s wing of the ruling party, has called for the federal government to launch a basic income pilot.
Kingston’s move is a significant step. We will have to wait and see whether this will encourage others to show the same support for BIG. With the changing political climate in Canada, it may well be a policy whose time has come.
For more information, see the following sources:
Paul Schliesmann, “Kingston council first to endorse guaranteed income,” The Kingston Whig-Standard, December 18, 2015.
Roderick Benns, “Kingston becomes first Canadian municipality to call for basic income guarantee,” Leaders and Legacies, December 16, 2015.
Roderick Benns interviews Toni Pickard, “Basic income guarantee and healthy minimum wage go hand in hand, says retired professor,” Leaders and Legacies, July 3, 2015.
Toru Yamamori, “CANADA: Ruling party’s women’s commission calls resolution for UBI experiment,” Basic Income News, November 6, 2015.
Josh Martin, “Canadian Medical Association officially endorses basic income at general council,” Basic Income News, September 6, 2015.
Will Wachtmeister, “CANADA: Edmonton mayor moots twin basic income pilot with Calgary,” Basic Income News, June 19, 2015.
by Karl Widerquist | Nov 29, 2015 | News
The NABIG Congress has extended the deadline for the call for papers to January 18, 2016. The organizers write, “You are invited to submit a proposal for participation at the North American Basic Income Guarantee (NABIG) Congress which will take place in Winnipeg, Manitoba on May 12-15, 2016. We are eager to receive proposals for presentations, panels, papers, and posters. The revised deadline for submission of proposals is January 18, 2016.”
Further details can be found in the NABIG Call for Participation. If you have any questions, please contact nabigcongress2016@umanitoba.ca
Website: https://www.basicincomecanada.org/
BICN
by Toru Yamamori | Nov 6, 2015 | News
The National Women’s Liberal Commission calls a party resolution for a pilot project of an unconditional basic income.
The National Women’s Liberal Commission is the women’s wing of the Liberal Party of Canada, which is currently in power.
The commission raises a party resolution to ‘advocate for a federal pilot of a basic income supplement in at least one Canadian town or city, in cooperation with the appropriate provincial and municipal government(s).’
The detail of the resolution can be read here.
