The Government of Canada is doing pre-budget consultations until February 19th. This is a great opportunity to speak up for a basic income guarantee, as well as other important issues like housing, pharmacare, childcare, and more! While the questionnaire does name many of these issues, unfortunately you won’t see a basic income guarantee specifically mentioned in the survey, so you’ll have to add it in yourself.
For the first question, “What investment do you think would best create jobs and grow the economy?” you can select “Other” and a field will appear where you can enter your own response. We encourage you to add “a basic income guarantee” in this space, as well as any additional information you’d like to provide about how a basic income would create jobs and grow the economy. For instance, you could mention the positive impact a basic income has on entrepreneurship. It gives people the security they need to start their own businesses. You could also mention that a basic income guarantee grows the economy because those who receive it will spend it, which will quickly recirculate those dollars into the economy.
There are two questions at the bottom of the first page that have fields to type in. The first is, “If you were designing the federal budget, what would you like to see in it to help create jobs and grow Canada’s economy?” A basic income guarantee is a perfect answer to this question. Feel free to explain why this is a priority for you.
The final question on the first page reads, “When we are able to safely re-open the economy and COVID-19 is under control, what is one idea you have for how the federal government can help you or your community?” Again, you could write about a permanent basic income guarantee here.
Thank you so much for taking the time to voice your support for a basic income guarantee!
For more information on the value of a basic income guarantee, please visit: https://globalnews.ca/news/7501358/canada-basic-income/