It’s time Canada had a basic income for all

Less poverty means less stress on health and safety, says Guy Caron.

We can choose to meet our challenges with optimism and readiness. We can be bold and ambitious, and position Canada strategically to enjoy growth and prosperity for generations to come.

The Citizen has invited the official candidates for the leadership of the federal NDP to explain briefly why they are running. Today: Guy Caron, MP for Rimouski-Neigette-Témiscoua-ta-Les Basques:

When you’re worried about putting food on the table, it’s hard to think about anything else. Planning for a better future for your family is next to impossible when you’re focused on making rent. That’s why I believe it’s time to introduce a basic income for all Canadians: to ensure that everyone is able enjoy a standard of living worthy of our great country.

A basic income policy is not only the right thing to do, it will also save us money. Less poverty means less stress on health care and public safety authorities. The evidence on this is clear. When people aren’t fighting to simply scrape by, they thrive. Despite what we’ve been led to believe, poverty and inequality are not inevitable.

I’m a progressive economist; I studied economics because I was convinced that progressive people cannot simply cede this crucially important ground to conservative Bay Street and international financiers. Economics is about numbers; it’s also about people.

I have always believed that politics are about choices. When I look at the choices the Justin Trudeau government is making, I believe we can and must do much better. Mr. Trudeau promised real change, but the truth is that Canadians are so far reaping little more than small change.

The choices made by decades of Liberal and Conservative governments have locked us into a race to the bottom with respect to jobs and wages, environmental standards and real economic growth. Looking to the same old-line parties will never lead us to a different outcome.

For the first time, we’re facing a future in which our children will have a lower standard of living than that of their parents.

Progressives have a duty to respond to this new reality with a bold and credible plan to transform an economic system that leaves so many Canadians behind.

We can choose to meet our challenges with optimism and readiness. We can be bold and ambitious, and position Canada strategically to enjoy growth and prosperity for generations to come. We don’t have to respond to the future with fear.

A basic income is good public policy, since investing in Canadians gives them the tools to participate fully in society, access better opportunities, and achieve financial independence. It will not only reduce costs for the government in the long run, but also result in greater economic growth and productivity, helping many Canadians to achieve their full potential. As one of the world’s wealthiest democracies, we have the means to tackle this challenge in a meaningful way.

Over the course of the NDP leadership campaign, I will be proposing a detailed plan to get the economy working the way it should: for you. Big business has had its hands on the levers of power for too long.

I believe I possess the right combination of skills, experience and vision to lead us to a cleaner, more just and more prosperous country, and I look forward to sharing my fully costed plan with all of you in the months to come.