The days are beginning to get a little longer, and so we have much to look forward to this March.
It is anticipated that in June 2022, citizens of Ontario will be going to the polls to elect Members for the Provincial Parliament. The Basic Income movement is trying to ensure that the elected candidates will be champions of a Basic Income. We will have two asks of the candidates:
- Advocating and working with the Federal Government on the development and implementation of a Basic Income Guarantee;
- Shifting existing provincial income support system toward Basic Income principles that require less conditionality while providing recipients a liveable income with more autonomy
Over the coming months, we will be engaging you and others to assist with rallies, meetings with candidates, emails to candidates, and many other activities. Engagement has started through scheduled virtual meet-ups. The first meet-up was on February 16 with the Ontario Basic Income Pilot sites. The next one is scheduled for March 2 for Ottawa ridings. The purpose of the meet-ups is twofold:
- Connecting activists with one another within local communities
- Encouraging people to take action like attending in-person rallies and installing BI Now lawn signs
As more meet-ups are scheduled, we will share the registration with you.
Your voice is important and we hope that you will be able to assist us with the pre-election activity to raise the profile of a Basic Income Now.
Basic Income Now Ottawa Meet-Up
Wednesday March 2nd, Basic Income Now is hosting an online meet-up for people in the Ottawa region from 7-8:30, which you can register for here. You can find their invitational message below:
If Ottawa is to be the center of the fight for freedom, then that fight should be for freedom from poverty. During Ontario's upcoming June election, we need to put Basic Income front and centre again.
After taking a pledge in support of Basic Income during his election campaign, one of the first things that Doug Ford did after becoming premier was cancel the Ontario Basic Income Pilot, stripping thousands of Ontarians of their freedom, and losing the data that would have informed how to bring a long-term Basic Income to our province.
To ensure Basic Income becomes an election priority, we’re organizing a Zoom Meet-up for Basic Income supporters in your riding and 7 other ridings across Ottawa.
At this meeting you will:
- Connect with other Basic Income advocates and organizers in Ottawa.
- Learn about plans for the Basic Income Now campaign during the Ontario Election.
- Help get the word out by helping to organize lawn signs and rallies in key ridings.
Carol Stalker of Basic Income Waterloo Region (BIWR) is concerned about the privatization of health services in Ontario, so she and others from BIWR got together and wrote the following op-ed on behalf of BIWR, which was published in the Hamilton Spectator, the Waterloo Region Record, and other Metroland papers.
You might ask yourself, what is the connection between Basic Income and the privatization of Health Services? The privatization of health services is an attempt (the op-ed argues it's a misguided attempt) to save the government money by making services more efficient. The only way private companies could save money over publicly funded services is to lower standards and/or lower wages and benefits to workers. Private companies also have profits to factor in, as well as high executive compensation.
A better way to save money on Health Services is to implement a Basic Income for everyone. Having enough money is a prime determinant of health status, and healthy people use the health care system less often.
Caterina
National Framework for a Guaranteed Livable Basic Income
At OBINs Annual General Meeting in January, Senator Kim Pate was our keynote speaker.
On February 8, 2022, Hon. Kim Pate moved second reading of Bill S-233, An Act to develop a national framework for a guaranteed livable basic income.
Watch Senator Pate’s debate in Senate here.
In Closing
We always appreciate hearing from you! Ideas, comments, etc. are needed to fuel our enthusiasm.
You can stay informed on our progress via our monthly Minutes.
Also, please consider donating. We appreciate anything and everything people can do to help.
Ontario Basic Income Network
http://www.obin.ca/