Webinar hosted by The Tamarack Institute on 27 May 2020.

Young people are facing a range of systemic issues that will significantly impact their futures as they enter the job market, start families, and seek financial prosperity. However, they are being faced with financial crises, a labour market becoming increasingly precarious, growing inequality, climate change, and amidst COVID-19, social norms will never be the same.

Join host, Mark Sutcliffe, for an online conversation on ending poverty with Hugh Segal, whose latest book, Bootstraps Need Boots, lays out the moral framework and the economic rationale for a universal guaranteed annual income for all. The discussion (May 26) will be followed by an audience Q&A.

Tracy Smith-Carrier's response to Mr. Milloy's recent article:

John Milloy’s recent piece in National Newswatch states that Basic Income is far from a slam dunk on a number of counts, not least of which includes the assumption that it would create the conditions of “a steady stream of tales of misuse, double dipping and downright fraud.”

Is a basic income on the horizon?

Advocates would say “absolutely”. It seems a day doesn’t go by without another opinion piece pointing out that the pandemic has created the ideal conditions for its adoption here in Canada.

People want radical change, especially for people who are struggling.

COVID-19 may render millions permanently unemployed and adopting a basic income would be truly transformative.

The following editorial from Maclean's magazine suggests a national Basic Income may be the logical next step based on the relative success of the current emergency programs and the desire to eliminate poverty in Canada.

There is much evidence indicating why a Basic Income is now urgently needed. This includes what it should be as well as the costs and benefits of minimizing income insecurity  for all Canadians. However, implementing a national program will not be simple due to the diversity of Canadian society and 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.

Joe Foster has been a long time advocate for a Basic income from the perspective of  human rights, politics and economics and is presently the OBIN Coordinating Team Facilitator.

The Presbyterian Church in Canada has written to three key members of government, the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and the Finance Minister urging them to implement a Guaranteed Basic Income.

"As early as 1973, the Presbyterian Church in Canada communicated its support of what was then called a “guaranteed annual income” to the federal government.

Tom Cooper led a webinar discussion with Canadian Senator Kim Pate, U.S. Advocate Scott Santens, and RSA Scotland's Jamie Cooke. They explored the international use of Basic Income as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, discussed the current political appetite for introducing a Basic Income that would truly prevent everyone from falling through the cracks, and finished by looking at how to build more political will to introduce Basic Income as a permanent part of our social safety net.

Watch webinar replay here.

In official (and unofficial) Ottawa circles, it’s one of the few remaining contexts in which engaging in a concerted effort to convince politicians to support — or oppose — a particular legislative or policy initiative doesn’t automatically trigger calls for a crackdown on the entire lobbying sector: the parliamentary lobby day buffet.

Please consider personalizing and sending this letter to your local MP. Some MP's have started to respond to these letters and email exchanges have begun. We are working closely with Senators who support Basic Income. We are being told how important it is to build relationships and get information to our local (and not so local) MP's.