Abstract
This chapter examines efforts to put a basic income (BI) in place in Canada. We trace the story of efforts to launch some version of BI over many decades in Canada, including shifts in the political discourse on BI among politicians, parties and advocacy groups at both the federal and provincial levels. We also examine practical attempts to test the BI model in Canada, including an experiment that ran in Manitoba in the 1970s, and a pilot project that was launched and then cancelled in Ontario during the period of 2016–2018. Finally, we offer some lessons that could be instructive for Australia and other jurisdictions based on Canadian experiences with advocacy for and experimentation with BI.
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Notes
- 1.
A semi-relative measure of poverty described further below.
- 2.
Quoted from a “Communique” and “Notice of Motion” released by the Office of Senator Hugh Segal, Senate of Canada, 6 February 2008.
- 3.
- 4.
- 5.
- 6.
See https://coalitionavenirquebec.org/en/blog/enjeux/solidarity/. The target group identified in the French version is “les personnes ayant des contraintes sévères à l’emploi.”
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Mulvale, J.P., Frankel, S. (2019). Basic Income in Canada: Lessons Learned and Challenges Ahead. In: Klein, E., Mays, J., Dunlop, T. (eds) Implementing a Basic Income in Australia. Exploring the Basic Income Guarantee. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14378-7_13
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