Mayor asks feds to rescue basic income project
LINDSAY — City of Kawartha Lakes Mayor Andy Letham, together with a trio of other mayors in Ontario communities affected by the provincial government’s cancellation of the basic income project, are now calling for the federal government to rescue the program.
In a release Wednesday, Letham stated there still is much to be gained by continuing to run the pilot over the remaining term and gathering the data that the province has already invested in.
“Aside from making good on the promises made to pilot participants, it offers an opportunity to improve the system,” Letham stated.
“We need to find a better way to assist those who are living on low income and struggling to make ends meet.”
His counterparts in Hamilton, Brantford and Thunder Bay, where the pilot project was underway, echoed his comments. Together, they issued a joint letter to federal Families, Children and Social Development Minister Jean-Yves Duclos expressing their concern with the sudden cancellation of the basic income pilot program and their united request to the federal government to assume oversight of the project.
“We’ve come together to share with Minister Duclos that there is broad-based support for the continuation of this important, evidence based program,” said Fred Eisenberger, mayor of Hamilton. “We are appealing to the Federal Government to assume oversight of the Ontario Basic Income Pilot project in our communities for years two and three of the planned project.”
The cancellation of the basic income pilot program was first announced in July. Last week, the province announced that payments to eligible participants would continue only until March 31.
This province has stated that this will allow participants enough time to transition to what it calls more proven support programs without putting an undue burden on Ontario taxpayers.
On Aug. 27, four Lindsay residents who objected to the project cancellation filed a class-action lawsuit for breach of contract against the province.
They say signing up for the basic income program was akin to entering into a contract with the government. Mike Perry, a lawyer and prominent advocate for social programming in Kawartha Lakes, is representing the plaintiffs pro bono in the suit.
Under the program, eligible participants were to receive up to $17,000 a year from the province. Couples would receive up to $24,000. About 2,000 people in Lindsay enrolled.