Universal basic income is a hot topic these days, trending on social media and sparking discussions about the pros and cons of introducing such a system to Canada.
While the topic is currently trending online, Canadian officials started looking into Senator Kim Pate’s proposal for a framework for a Canada-wide universal basic income program back in October.
WHAT IS UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME?
Basic Income Coalition Canada describes universal basic income (UBI) as a system where the government of a country provides people with a set amount of money every month as a form of income. This usually covers a broad group, like all citizens, adults, or residents, but could also be a program delivered on a needs-based criteria. This money is given without any work requirement in order to ensure people can pay for basic necessities like food, shelter and clothing.
Canadians have toyed with the idea of UBI for a long time. For instance, in 2017, then Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne launched a UBI pilot project known as the Ontario Basic Income Pilot (UBIP). The pilot was set to run for three years and give 4,000 people in the Hamilton-Brant, Thunder Bay, and Lindsay regions a basic income of up to $16,989/ year for individuals, or $24,027 for couples, with an additional $500/month for those living with disabilities.
Participants had to be between the ages of 18 and 64, living in one of the mentioned areas, and earning under $34,000/year for single people or under $48,000/year for couples. However, the pilot was cancelled by the newly elected Ford government in 2018.
CANADIANS’ THOUGHTS ON UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME
In 2020, with the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian government rolled out the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), a program that provided people with a basic income when many were forced out of work and still had bills to pay.
This got a lot of Canadians thinking about a future where receiving enough money to cover your basic expenses was possible. And with the new year approaching, the topic back before government officials, and the cost of living continuing to rise, the topic is trending online.
Some people are all for the idea, saying that having a set amount of money guaranteed to supplement their monthly income would make a huge difference in their lives.
“I’m all for this, we are all suffering right now. This can really help people who need a hand,” one person said on Reddit.
“Most opponents of Universal Basic Income have likely never experienced the crushing stress of not knowing how the rent will be paid or where the next meal is coming from,” another person said.
“With UBI people will no longer be taking advantage of people’s desperation so as to get cheap labour,” one X user said.
While others are raising concerns about potential flaws with a UBI program..
“I think people would prefer a tax break to this.”
And some people have mixed feelings about the whole thing.
“I would oppose [UBI] if and only if it were easy to get a job. It’s really not. Fix the job market and the problem will correct itself,” wrote one person on Reddit.
