What is a Basic Income? 

A Basic Income would ensure all people have enough money to meet the necessities of life, including food, clothing, shelter, and other resources that facilitate social engagement, such as access to travel and a means of communication. 

Response to naysayers:

The following points are typical objections to a basic Income, posted, together with a succinct rebuttal.

1.    A Basic Income is Utopian; it has never been done before.

a.    This could be said to apply to any new policy throughout history. For that reason alone, it does not make sense

2.    A Basic Income would be unaffordable.            

a.    Would you then support it if it were shown to be reasonably affordable? 

3.    A Basic Income would lead to the dismantling of the Welfare State.

a.    Basic Income does not imply the dismantling of  public services or the replacement of all other welfare benefits. Check the principles.

4.    A Basic Income would distract from other progressive policies such as  full employment.

a.    Other progressive policies are not achieving their goals. 

b.    And why would the need to lift someone out of poverty  need to be secondary to failing policies?

5.    A Basic Income will not solve all the problems of  poverty

a.    No, but it will empower people in their lives. 

6.    A Basic Income  would give people something for nothing.

a.    This happens all the time, especially in Corporate government support. Besides it is nothing new. 

b.    The Welfare state does it too, but it adds a punitive element to it. 

7.    A Basic Income would lead to “bad” spending. 

a.    Why should a rich person have the freedom to buy and consume whatever the state bureaucracy deems a “bad”, but not a poor person?

8.    A Basic Income would reduce work.

a.    The evidence does not support this.  (Mincome, etc.)

9.    A Basic Income would lower wages. 

a.    A Basic Income would enable vulnerable people to say no to expoloitative wages and put pressure on better pay for lousy jobs.  In addition there have to be laws about living wages, etc. (see principles)

10. A Basic Income would be inflationary. 

a.    Again, there is no evidence for this. Indian experiments actually show the opposite. 

b.    In addition, in  other forms of Basic Income suchas Old Age Security  (OAS) and Canada Child Benefit (CCB) this has not been an issue. 

Is a Basic Income all we need?

Absolutely not! A Basic Income must be part of a comprehensive social safety net.

Is a Basic Income affordable in Canada?

Yes, but Provinces and Territories cannot do it alone. The Parliamentary Budget Office has costed a Basic Income. Studies using this estimate have shown that a Basic Income in Canada can be funded in a revenue neutral way through reallocation of selected federal tax credits, making the system more equitable and transferring benefits to those most in need.

Selected references and resources:

Basic Income Guarantee Nova Scotia (BIG-NS), https://www.facebook.com/basicincomeNS/

Basic Income Canada Network, https://www.basicincomecanada.org/

Forget, E. (2018). Basic Income for Canadians: The key to a healthier, happier, more secure life for all. Toronto, ON: James Lorimer & Co.

Standing, G. (2017). A Basic Income: How we can make it happen. Pelican Books.

Stevens, H., & Simpson, W. (2017) Toward a National Universal Guaranteed Basic Income, Canadian Public Policy, Volume 43, Issue 2, 120-139.