Canadian province trials basic income for thousands of residents

[applegrove]

Ben Kentish at the Independant

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/canada-universal-basic-income-ontario-trial-citizens-residents-poverty-unemployment-benefits-a8082576.html

"SNIP.........

Canada is testing a basic income to discover what impact the policy has on unemployed people and those on low incomes.

The province of Ontario is planning to give 4,000 citizens thousands of dollars a month and assess how it affects their health, wellbeing, earnings and productivity.

It is among a number of regions and countries across the globe that are now piloting the scheme, which sees residents given a certain amount of money each month regardless of whether or not they are in work.

.....

One recipient, Tim Button, said the monthly payments were making a “huge difference” to his life. He worked as a security guard before having to quit after a fall from a roof left him unable to work.


...........SNIP"

[Saviolo]

1. I'm really riveted by this

I can't wait to see how this turns out, and what the results are going to be.

[mahigan]

2. There isn't anything new about this

This idea has been around since the 1930s [link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_income_in_Canada| and was actually tested in Manitoba in the 1970s but the plan was never completely implemented [link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mincome|.

I have heard that the federal Conservative Party under Joe Clark had studied the idea and determined it was feasible but the party did not include it in its election platform because they didn't believe Conservative Party members would approve of the idea. (I have no link for this.)

It is gaining appeal again because of the threatened impact on jobs by technological innovations that will render large numbers of jobs obsolete.

[applegrove]

3. But they are testing it to get data on how incredible the difference to

the lives of the participants. When i studied negative income tax in college they talked about the magnitude of change it would make to lives. Now that part is real. Yes the idea has been tossed around by politicians. But now the science is real. That is exciting to me.

[mahigan]

4. This is incredibly important

If the projected technology related job losses do materialize, any jurisdiction that doesn't have some guaranteed annual income program in place when they hit is going to be in a world of trouble.

The data from the Winnipeg and Dauphin trials have been sitting around for 40 years without there ever having been a comprehensive analysis. So far as I know it is all still available to anyone who wants to use it.

The study in Ontario is not the only one underway. As I recollect, there is at least one study already underway in one of the Scandinavian countries - Norway I believe.

Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that the trial planned for Ontario will actually happen. There is a provincial election in Ontario in June and whoever is the government after it may determine if the study actually goes ahead. The Manitoba study came to an inglorious end because the governments participating in the study changed hands during it.

Good judgement would continue the study regardless of the governments involved. Unfortunately, good judgement in Ontario politics has been known to take extended vacations (see Harris, Mike). Kathleen Wynne's personal poll numbers have tanked and some polls have shown the Liberal Party isn't faring a great deal better. In fact, none of the recent polls I have seen show the Liberals ahead.

Please don't misconstrue my position. I'm a former sociology professor and I consider this to be a vital study that absolutely should be completed because it is necessary for future planning. I'm just restraining my enthusiasm until I actually see some results.