Opinion: A Basic Income would be an Unfair, Complicated and Costly way to Eliminate Poverty
Bellemare, D. (2022, Apr 27). A Basic Income would be an Unfair, Complicated and Costly way to Eliminate Poverty. The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-a-basic-income-would-be-an-unfair-complicated-and-costly-way-to/ UTL Link: http://myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fnewspapers%2Fbasic-income-would-be-unfair-complicated-costly%2Fdocview%2F2655967190%2Fse-2%3F
Diane Bellemare writes: “There is much to say about Bill S-233 tabled in the Senate. The bill – which proposes to oblige the federal Minister of Finance to develop a national framework to implement an unconditional guaranteed basic income program (GBI), unconditionally guaranteeing sufficient income (equivalent to or near the low-income threshold) for all Canadian citizens over age 17, as well as Canadian residents, refugees and temporary workers – strives to eliminate poverty and establish social equity. These are laudable goals. There is also no doubt about the positive effects of a stable basic income on an individual’s physical and mental health, as ample research has demonstrated.”
“But a GBI is not the only way to achieve these noble ends. In fact, a GBI would be among the most constitutionally complex and prohibitively expensive ways to tackle poverty and inequity. Its blanket approach also lacks fairness, and lacks the credibility that comes with all-important public buy-in. However, the arguments against a GBI should not be confused for calls to accept the status quo: Issues of poverty, chronic unemployment or underemployment, training and education deficits, among other social problems, should instead be addressed through targeted social programs delivered through all levels of government working together.”
“A basic equal income for all is not necessarily fair because it does not guarantee equal opportunities. Individuals and families have different needs that the actual social system acknowledges. … And then there are the real constitutional issues that Bill S-233 raises. The abolition of federal transfers for social programs that would be necessary to afford a GBI would require negotiations with the provinces and territories, which would not easily abandon their responsibility for social assistance to the federal government.”
National Framework for a Guaranteed Livable Basic Income Act S-233 (44-1). Parliament of Canada. https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/44-1/s-233
Ammar, N., Busby, C., & Ahmed, S. M. (2021). Distributional and Fiscal Analysis of a National Guaranteed Basic Income. Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer. https://distribution-a617274656661637473.pbo-dpb.ca/71f12c2a896208681dcd59ff69f19e1a6c024d00a60c2e2c195f56293f8fff1c
Ontario Basic Income Pilot. Government of Ontario. https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-basic-income-pilot
Pasma, C., & Regeher, S. (2019). Basic Income: Some Policy Options for Canada. Basic Income Canada Network. https://basicincomecanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Basic_Income-_Some_Policy_Options_for_Canada.pdf
A Guaranteed Basic Income could End Poverty, so Why isn’t it Happening?
Zhao, J. & Whitehead, L. (2022, May 12). A guaranteed basic income could end poverty, so why isn’t it happening? The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/a-guaranteed-basic-income-could-end-poverty-so-why-isnt-it-happening-182638
Jiaying Zhao and Lorne Whitehead write: “Basic income can be fair to all Canadians, accommodating people with different needs. A system that includes basic income does not necessarily entail clawing back existing benefits and services. Importantly, a gradually phased-in, carefully designed basic income program can be monitored and adjusted over time, to ensure that diverse individual needs are always addressed. … With careful planning, a basic income system could be designed to be simple, adaptable, reliable and fair. In other words, it could be a type of synergistic solution that involves an optimal mix of different policy programs that yield greater efficacy. For example, a basic income program could be combined with a wage subsidy program.”
“Recent cost-benefit analyses have demonstrated that carefully designed cash-based interventions can be cost effective and generate net savings for society. Recipients rely less on social services over time, meaning governments pay less to fund these programs. … We caution against overly simplistic cost estimates and call for a more careful, thorough calculation of the true costs and benefits associated with of basic income programs. In fact, Canada can adopt a basic income program without increasing its fiscal debt.”
“Basic income should form part of a practical comprehensive plan for eliminating poverty in Canada. Indeed, there is emerging political will to push for a national strategy for a guaranteed basic income. … This is essential, because poverty is an unnecessary, cruel abomination. Think of it this way: most Canadians probably have a close friend or family member who is impacted by poverty, since one in 15 Canadians still live in poverty.”
Bernstein, J. (2021, September 19). What is basic income and which of Canada's main parties support it? CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada-how-basic-income-works-1.6179760
Angus Reid Institute. (2020, June 18). As COVID-19 rewrites playbook on social safety net, majorities support idea of basic income of up to 30K. https://angusreid.org/universal-basic-income-covid19/
Hasdell, R., Bidadanure, J., & Berger Gonzalez, S. (2021). Healthy Communities and Universal Basic Income: A conceptual framework and evidence review. Stanford Basic Income Lab. https://basicincome.stanford.edu/uploads/healthy-communities_ubi-paper_final.pdf
Dimensions of Poverty Hub. Statistics Canada. https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/topics-start/poverty
Bossuroy, T., Goldstein, M., Karimou, B., et al. (2022). Tackling psychosocial and capital constraints to alleviate poverty. Nature 605, 291–297 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04647-8 Open Access
Hamilton, L. & Mulvale, J. P. (2019). “Human Again”: The (Unrealized) Promise of Basic Income in Ontario. Journal of Poverty, 23(7), 576–599. https://doi.org/10.1080/10875549.2019.1616242 UTL Link: https://journals-scholarsportal-info.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/details/10875549/v23i0007/576_atpobiio.xml
Photo Source: Plume, R. [Photograph]. The Canadian Press. https://theconversation.com/a-guaranteed-basic-income-could-end-poverty-so-why-isnt-it-happening-182638
