For Immediate Release - 17 June 2020

BASIC INCOME GOES VIRAL: ESSENTIAL FOR PANDEMIC RECOVERY, SAYS NEW REPORT

Work is not enough to guarantee Canadians basic security. It never was. The only way to deal with this harsh reality is for one of the world’s richest countries to guarantee a basic livable income to everyone, regardless of employment status. This is a key conclusion from the report Rethinking Work and Income Security in the 21st Century: The Case for Basic Income and Work.

For Immediate Release - 17 June 2020

Work is not enough to guarantee Canadians basic security. It never was. The only way to deal with this harsh reality is for one of the world’s richest countries to guarantee a basic livable income to everyone, regardless of employment status. This is a key conclusion from the report Rethinking Work and Income Security in the 21st Century: The case for Basic Income and Work.

Date: Thursday, June 18, 2020 | 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. ET

Speakers: Tracy Smith-Carrier, Josephine Grey & Evelyn Forget

Moderator: Laura Cattari

Hosted by: The Tamarack Institute

Millions have been relying on the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) these past few months. This has been an extraordinary response to an extraordinary time. But people concerned about fighting poverty are looking to draw lessons from the pandemic for the future. Discussion is growing around the creation of a universal basic income for Canadians.

One of the key advantages of a Basic Income is that it tackles poverty and economic exclusion which are outcomes of systemic (and sometimes blatant) racism and colonialism.  A Basic Income program should be given the green light immediately by the Federal Government as one step in eliminating these evils in Canada. Basic Income is also a logical element in creating an economic recovery plan and building a more inclusive Canadian society, as we transition out of the pandemic. 

There is much evidence indicating why a Basic Income is now urgently needed. However, implementing a national program will not be simple due to the diversity within Canadian society. Added to this is the complexity of jurisdictional responsibilities as well as the plethora of existing social assistance programs at all levels of government.

How the program is designed, developed, tested and implemented will have definite impact on its acceptance and sustainability.

12 June 2020

Canada is a resource-rich, culturally diverse, and human-rights-promoting democratic country. Despite this, far too many Canadians do not experience equal access to protections, resources or opportunities. The result is a less fair, just and cohesive society where efforts focus on reacting to harms and issues rather than on approaches that proactively prevent and work to eradicate inequality and discrimination.

Join the Ontario Council for International Cooperation’s Youth Policy-Makers Hub for a series of conversations and workshops bringing a range of voices on Basic Income in Canada, including members of the BICYN steering committee.

Coalition Canada: basic income/revenu de base* is Canada’s cross-country coalition of experienced Basic Income Guarantee (BIG) activists. The Coalition came together following the election of the Federal minority Liberal Government in October, 2019.  Advocacy groups from the Yukon and all Provinces except Newfoundland are currently represented.

The CERB is nothing like a basic income, but it might be the platform we use to build one

Posted on May 22, 2020 in Social Security Debates

Source: TheGlobeandMail.com — Author: Andrew Coyne     MAY 22, 2020.  

One thing on which nearly everyone seems to agree is that the present crisis, with millions unemployed and governments straining to keep them all fed and housed, offers an opportunity to rethink our approach to income support. The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) has attracted particular attention as a possible model for the long-sought ideal of social-policy reformers everywhere: a guaranteed annual income – or as it’s called more often nowadays, basic income.