Hi Friend,
The COVID-19 crisis has revealed, more clearly and urgently than ever, that Canada needs a Guaranteed Livable Income. GLI is not a radical idea. It's an idea whose time has come.
Imagine a safety net that catches everyone.
In just a few short months the idea of a Guaranteed Livable Income (also called basic income) has gone from obscure policy discussion to mainstream conversation.
For both social and fiscal reasons, Greens have been advocating for a GLI for many years. Implementing this in Canada would be comparable to the passage of the Medical Care Act in 1966, and equally transformative.
We have recently released Reimagining Our Future, a vision for Canada after COVID-19. In it, we call unequivocally for GLI. Some concrete things we want to see include:
- Converting CERB to GLI.
- Introducing affordable – if not free – college and university education. All students will be covered by GLI, thus removing many financial barriers commonly faced by those seeking post-secondary education.
- Championing an economy that is just and caring, one not blind to gender or race.
A Guaranteed Livable Income would replace our patchwork of federal and provincial programs with a single, universal, unconditional cash benefit. The cost of administering social assistance programs is enormous. A GLI eliminates that cost.
A GLI is equitable and anti-racist. It eliminates the shame and discrimination directed at those who need help. GLI is a fair program that reduces poverty and rewards work. It will also lower Canada's health care costs, because poverty reduction improves health outcomes.
We know that many of you, our fellow Greens, are passionate about this issue. Thousands of you signed our letter to the government calling for a GLI. If you sign your name now, by clicking below, we will know Greens continue to care deeply about GLI, and we will carry on the fight for this essential, equity-building initiative.
I encourage you to learn more about GLI, because I can’t elaborate on all of the many benefits in one email. Delivering a single, universal, unconditional cash benefit to every Canadian is simple. Most of the time most people won’t need it, and the funds will flow back to the government through taxes. But when circumstances change – like one person losing a job, or millions being thrown out of work – having a GLI in place will help us weather the storms ahead, without the stress and anxiety too many Canadians are enduring right now.
Sincerely,
Paul Manly
MP for Nanaimo–Ladysmith
Green Party of Canada