Towards a Basic Income

A Basic Income is a form of social security, the most important in a market society where people essentially need money to survive.

A Basic Income (which could be called a “Canada Income", or “Manitoba Income”) could be established first as a separate program, which would deliver ~$300/month to ALL Canadians, at the start, and increase over time to the highest sustainable level. This universal, non-taxable benefit would then be expanded over time to replace current targeted, means-tested programs (e.g., EI, GIS, Canadian Child Tax Benefit, etc.). Overall, this would result in an equalization of security across the board for people, and also would promote creativity, self-determination, an atmosphere of quality over quantity, and an economic basis for democracy.

For more information on financing, take a look at www.basicincome.com, where Sally Lerner has done calculations for a Canadian Basic Income. Also, a new Basic Income Earth Network - Canada Chapter, has just been founded.

According to Lerner et-al.[1], the Basic Income would approximately double the Government of Canada's current budget. It is not "revenue-neutral" at all, and that is not a problem in my view. What would happen? All the current charities that do food banks and such, getting tax receipts, would no longer be necessary. The currently voluntary donations that many corporations and individuals make to fund these charities would now be mandatory, and done through the tax system. This would be a step towards realizing human rights, and the United Nations Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights[2], which binds all signatory nations, which includes Canada – who ratified it on May 19^th, 1976.[3]

www.basicincome.org has lots of good information on Basic Income.

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[1] Lerner, S.; et-al. (1999) Basic Income: Economic Security for All Canadians.

[2] Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (1976). International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. Available Online: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/cescr.htm Accessed: October 11, 2008.

[3] Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (2008). Ratification Status: International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. Available Online: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/ratification/3.htm Accessed: October 11, 2008.