Basic income could expand: Leal

All-candidates meeting focuses on poverty issues

Peterborough-Kawartha Liberal incumbent Jeff Leal said in a debate Thursday evening that the provincial Basic Income Guarantee pilot project could expand across Ontario – and eventually replace social assistance programs.

“It will allow us to wind down ODSP and OW in the province – and this would be a significant move forward,” Leal said.

Leal has been MPP since 2003, for four terms, and is the minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, as well as the minister responsible for small business in Premier Kathleen Wynne’s government.

He was debating other candidates at the Action Against Poverty town hall meeting, organized by the Youth Political Action Coalition and moderated by Morgan Carl.

About 30 people were gathered at the auditorium at Kenner Collegiate for the discussion.

Leal was joined by Sean Conway (NDP), Gianne Broughton (Green), Jacob Currier (Libertarian party) and Ken Ranney (Stop Climate Change party).

Progressive Conservative candidate Dave Smith was invited but declined to attend. Trillium party candidate Rob Roddick wasn’t present at the debate either.

Basic Income Guarantee is cash from the government to citizens to ensure everyone has enough money to meet basic needs — whether or not they are employed.

Leal reminded the crowd that the Liberals introduced the Basic Income Guarantee pilot program recently in four cities in Ontario: Lindsay, Hamilton, Thunder Bay and Brantford.

“There’s no question – it’s been successful to date,” he said.

But NDP candidate Sean Conway said the pilot program gives people 75 per cent of the income they need to reach the poverty level – not enough, in his estimation.

Ranney agreed.

“I would make it as high as it can possibly be,” he said. “I can’t see why see why it would be less than $30K a year for a single person.”

Currier said the government ought to offer either Basic Income Guarantee or a “top-up program” for people struggling

with low wages – and then get rid of “welfare programs.”

Broughton said the Basic Income Guarantee needs to offer more money than the pilot program currently does — and that it could be funded by charging more tax to the top one per cent of earners in Ontario.

The candidates also presented their visions for transit, with

Leal saying the Liberals introduced the GO bus service to Peterborough.

“It’s a great success story,” he said.

Ranney didn’t see it that way. “I think it takes about four hours to go to Toronto,” he said of the GO service from Peterborough.

“It’s pathetic, right now – it needs big changes. And it could have big changes if a government was really behind it.”

Broughton talked about how she likes to take the GO service to Toronto, but Conway chided her for not mentioning a lack of bike lanes in the city.

“I’m surprised the Green party didn’t bring that up – we need bike lanes in Peterborough,” he said. “One hundred years from now we don’t want cars on the road – the future is not a car. Or at least not a gasoline-powered car.”

There was also mention of how the minimum wage for students under the age of 18 is $13, even as though minimum wage has increased to $14 for adults (and is set to increase to $15 in 2019).

The candidates were asked whether they support equal pay for equal work, regardless of the worker’s age.

Leal said his government would keep the student minimum wage in place for now, but will review it again once the adult rate is up to $15.

Conway stood up for teen workers.

“A minimum wage is a minimum wage – equal pay for equal work,” he said.

Currier took another approach, saying his party has proposed no income tax for working students younger than 18.

Broughton said she doesn’t see why students should get paid less for equal work in Ontario.

“We need to have fair rules – that treat everyone fairly,” she said. “Let’s just do the right thing.”

The provincial election is on June 7.