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.

As a self-proclaimed leftie and basic income supporter, I began Hugh Segal’s Bootstraps Need Boots: One Tory’s Lonely Fight to End Poverty in Canada both skeptical and curious. In this memoir-meets-case for basic income, the former Senator brings his personal and political experiences into conversation, resulting in a read that is both enjoyable and informative.

The Lobby Day team at OBIN has produced Letter#3 to send to your local MP as well as other MP's. It’s OK if there is duplication - this is in part a numbers game. Please let us know at [email protected] who you send letters to so we can track the results.

We are starting to get feedback from MP’s. This means we are making headway with our letter writing campaign. The more letters our federal elected officials receive, the more they know a Basic Income program is an important issue for Canadian citizens.

Letter#3 is posted on the Lobby Day page.

Ontario Basic Income Network June 2020 Newsletter is posted here.

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By Carol Stalker | Special to Waterloo Region Record | May 26, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to much discussion about a basic income program for Canada. The Basic Income Waterloo Region advocacy group is pleased to see increased recognition that if a basic income program had been in place prior to the current crisis, the government would have had a firmer foundation on which to build the crisis response.