Basic Income being considered seriously in Canada

Many levels of Government in Canada are seriously considering Basic Income. “Jean-Yves Duclos, federal minister of families, children and social development, stated to both CBC Radio and the Globe and Mail last week that a guaranteed minimum income is a policy worthy of discussion, once the promised enhancements to child tax benefits occur — an existing kind of minimum income for families with children.”

“At the same time, François Blais, minister of employment and social solidarity, has taken the spotlight on this issue in Quebec, asked by Premier Philippe Couillard to figure out how the province might turn their existing income support tools in the direction of a basic income guarantee. Blais wrote a book in 2001 called A Basic Income for All. Duclos, a veteran economist, supported basic income in a 2008 paper he wrote for the Institute for Research on Public Policy.”

Read more from Sheila Regehr and Roderick Benns in the Toronto Star.