On August 10th, 2020, MP Leah Gazan submitted a motion to convert the CERB into a permanent Guaranteed Livable Basic Income. The motion comes out of a collaborative effort with Basic Income Manitoba and the Basic Income Canada Network. Read the full text of M-46. Add your name to support MP Leah Gazan's motion here!
Basic Income Updates, News and Information - as of 22 August 2020
The Case for Basic Income for the Arts Webinar REPLAY
Basic Income Calgary's July 29th’s Community Session featuring six amazing champions for both the Arts and basic income in Canada went off as a huge success with over 200 participants and over 400 registered.
The recording of the webinar is now available to view here. (including the embedded ASL translations). Please share the video far and wide. You can also find the slide deck in PDF format on the replay page.
If you attended the webinar and have not already done so, we would certainly appreciate your feedback here. Feedback from our attendees helps to let us know if we are producing engaging and useful content that you want to experience.
Visit BI and the Arts web page here for more information about the campaign.
WEBINAR REPLAY - Basic Income: Business Perspectives
The Tamarack Institute - 19 August 2020
Calls for Basic Income have been gaining ground on both sides of the political spectrum over the last several months due to COVID-19.
In this webinar Bianca Caramento (Hamilton Chamber of Commerce), Floyd Marinescu (C4Media), Sameer Nurmohamed (Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP), and Tom Cooper (Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction discuss their perspectives as long-time Basic Income advocates. They also explore what a Canadian Basic Income would mean for businesses, the economy, and society.
View replay, show notes and links to BI activities here.
Explore The Case for Basic Income for Small Businesses here.
Lobby Day Letter #5 - August 2020 Download letter here.
Will you sign?
End of CERB could complicate EI system, open door to basic income, says senator
The Canadian Press - 20 August 2020
Senator Yuen Pau Woo is advocating for an experimental basic income program at the provincial level, citing the complications to the employment insurance program after the end of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit. Read more ...
"Recovery UBI" a Basic Income Proposal to Spur Economic Recovery
UBI Works - 14 August 2020
UBI Works, an organization representing over 40,000 basic income advocates, has launched their proposal for a national basic income, Recovery UBI. Their plan bridges the gap between current pandemic supports and an eventual long-term basic income that would address the inadequacies in Canada’s current social safety net. It would provide all Canadian adults (no matter their income or existing supports) with $500/month and further establish a guaranteed minimum income to address the persistent poverty currently trapping so many Canadians.
Read the article here.
Sign the petition here.
Watch UBI Works Facebook Live Townhall Meeting on Recovery UBI here.
Basic Income March - Toronto and Across Canada - 19 September 2020
Toronto and cities around the world are marching for universal basic income on Sept 19th. Join the international movement and show your support for an economy that works for everyone. More information here.
Calgary - UBI Walk Calgary
Edmonton - Basic Income March Edmonton
Montreal - Marche montréalaise pour le revenu de base
Calgary - UBI Walk Calgary
Edmonton - Basic Income March Edmonton
Montreal - Marche montréalaise pour le revenu de base
Pembroke, ON - Pembroke Basic Income Event
Lindsay, ON - Basic Income Plus March
Victoria BC - Basic Income March Victoria
Toronto, ON - Basic Income March Toronto
For advocates of basic income, this analysis of ODSP is well worth reading. It makes an overwhelming case for the inadequacy of ODSP and the replacement of it with a properly designed basic income program. This would enable and financially reward investment in one’s work-place skills; as well as encouraging the taking and holding of sustained employment, while leaving one’s dignity in place.
Along side such a program, there will still be the need for a radically re-designed and more specialized replacement for ODSP and aspects of provincial social assistance. This new program would be able to respond to the highly individualistic, unpredictable and personal needs of both disabled and lower-income Ontarians. Trying to use BI by itself to meet both needs would weaken BI's principal advantages over welfare (lower administrative cost, simplicity, stronger work incentive and reduction of stigma, among others) while leaving serious but unpredictable special needs of certain people unmet.
Putting these two programs in place together would be of immense benefit both to low-income citizens and to our society as a whole; and in the long-run could be less expensive.
Read the report here.
Basic Income Community Chat - New Interviews and a New Name
UBI Community Chat is now called Basic Income Community Chat. Same lovely hosts and same great interviews.
Watch new and older interviews here.
OBIN Coordinating Team (C-Team) Meeting Minutes for July 2020 posted here.
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