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Canadian province Ontario to pilot Guaranteed basic income (GBI) plan.

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Excerpts:

Canadian province Ontario plans to trial universal basic income

'As Ontario’s economy grows, the government remains committed to leaving no one behind'

Ontario has announced it could soon be sending a monthly cheque to its residents as it plans to launch an experiment testing the basic income concept.

While officials in the Canadian province are yet to release any specific details of the project – including how much will be given to residents who participate – the finance ministry has published a report confirming the government’s intention to roll out the experiment.

The general concept of basic income involves a government handing out a flat-rate income to every single citizen within a country, either by replacing existing benefits or to top them up.

Proponents of the idea say it would save on welfare administration costs, reduce the poverty traps of traditional welfare states, be fair to people who have jobs, and give people more autonomy in general.

(Read more)
Canadian province Ontario plans to trial universal basic income | Americas | News | The Independent

-------------
We Should Applaud Ontario's Plans To Pilot A Basic Income Guarantee

Hot on the heels of Quebec's plans to work towards a basic income guarantee and aGlobe and Mail Editorial Board endorsement came an announcement last Thursday of a pilot as part of Ontario's provincial budget. On that very day, Senator Art Eggleton in Ottawa tabled a motion that the Senate of Canada encourage the federal government to do the same.

The Basic Income Guarantee (BIG) is a strategy for poverty reduction that is simpler and more effective than our existing social assistance systems. Quite simply, individuals whose incomes fall below a certain level get topped up to a level that would meet basic needs. This streamlined approach would replace existing social assistance programs, and would provide much-needed income security for the increasing numbers of Canadians in precarious and part-time work. If designed correctly, it should also eliminate some of the perverse incentives of the "welfare wall" that institutionalize poverty in Canada.


(Read more)
We Should Applaud Ontario's Plans To Pilot A Basic Income Guarantee | Laura Anderson

-------------------------

Canada Plans to Try a Basic Income Program to Combat Poverty\

While details about the pilot program have not been released, Ontario's government included the basic income pilot program in budget documents released on Thursday, The Huffington Post reports. Premier of Ontario Kathleen Wynne said that the government "will test a growing view at home and abroad that a basic income could build on the success of minimum wage policies and increases in child benefits by providing more consistent and predictable support in the context of today’s dynamic labour market."

Canada isn't the only country experimenting with a basic income. Finland and the Netherlands both have similar programs slated to launch this year, and voters in Switzerland will vote on a referendum to initiate a basic income system that offers citizens about $3,200 per month in June.

(Read more)

Canada Will Provide a Basic Income to Combat Poverty


--------------------
Ontario basic income pilot: What can we learn from it?
The Basic Income Guarantee is having a moment.

Hot on the heels of Quebec’s plans to work toward a basic income guarantee came an announcement last Thursday of a pilot in Ontario’s budget. Sen. Art Eggleton also tabled a motion that the Senate encourage the federal government to do the same.

The Basic Income Guarantee (BIG) is a strategy for poverty reduction that is simpler and more effective than existing social assistance systems. Individuals whose incomes fall below a certain level get topped up to a level that would meet basic needs. This streamlined approach would replace existing social assistance programs and provide much-needed income security for Canadians in precarious and part-time work. If designed correctly, it should eliminate some perverse incentives of the “welfare wall” that institutionalize poverty.

A series of pilot projects now seems inevitable. What should we hope to learn from them?



(Read more)
Ontario basic income pilot: What can we learn from it? | The Chronicle Herald


-------

LET ME MAKE THIS CLEAR, I am neither for, nor against basic income plans. Right now, I'm looking at both the pros and cons, and both sides have very valid arguments to make.

It has become clear that the world, at least the western world, is moving towards a basic universal income plan. This is especially important, as automation is soon going to affect upwards of 70 million jobs globally within this decade, a vast majority in the west.

We also know that a majority of countries around the world already have some form of basic income plan, even if they don't call or even recognize them as such. From the US welfare system, to Pakistan's Benazir Income Support Programme.

A small video to explain how automation will affect the world economy...


A basic understanding of one way to deal with a basic income plan...

Learn | Basic Income Supplement

For those that say such a program will make people lazy, Canada did conduct a previous pilot project (mincome project) that ended up getting shelved due to political hurdles. Regardless of the incomplete pilot, the results that were shown, were remarkable. Increased mental and physical health, decreased hospital visitation, and decreased bureaucratic nonsense. The biggest result was a 100% complete elimination of poverty and homelessness...

Mincome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

While there was a slight, negligible decrease in employment and job hunting, a majority of the decrease was due to people going back to college and university to complete their education. As for youth, high school graduation became a record high, as more youths no longer felt the need to sacrifice their studies, in order to find a job.

--------------

My biggest concern is that the first victim of this income plan will be the universal health care. Unless the income given is between CND$30,000-40,000 annually, which it won't be, that will not cover vital hospital or clinic visits. Right now, the figure the Ontario government is rumored to be looking at is somewhere around CND$18,000-20,000 annually, which is nowhere near enough for a majority of people to even consider it a basic income.

Even if we were to say that the universal health care is not being cut, there is the concern of affordability. Ontario (not to mention Canada) is already heavily in debt, where is the money going to come from? Even if all welfare and government insurance programs were cut to pay for this scheme, it will wouldn't be enough, as just Ontario would require at least CND$150-200 BILLION to even pay 10,000 per-person and only in Ontario. Keep in mind, Canada's national budget is close to CND$250 billion, which means that Canada would have to cut vital services, just to pay for this program.

@Oscar @waz @notorious_eagle @niaz @MastanKhan @Horus @WebMaster @MaarKhoor @Desertfalcon @WAJsal @jaibi @TankMan @HAIDER @jhungary @Chinese-Dragon @Windjammer @Quwa @Nihonjin1051 @Zarvan @pakistani342 @Talwar e Pakistan @nair @500 @DavidSling @boomslang @gambit @dadeechi @Icarus @Irfan Baloch @Imran Khan @Atanz @Viper0011. @mingle @Spring Onion @DESERT FIGHTER @Abingdonboy @Akheilos @Syed.Ali.Haider @Abu Zolfiqar @SpArK @fatman17 @Armstrong @AgNoStiC MuSliM @cb4

Thoughts?
 
Last edited:
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Excerpts:

Canadian province Ontario plans to trial universal basic income

'As Ontario’s economy grows, the government remains committed to leaving no one behind'

Ontario has announced it could soon be sending a monthly cheque to its residents as it plans to launch an experiment testing the basic income concept.

While officials in the Canadian province are yet to release any specific details of the project – including how much will be given to residents who participate – the finance ministry has published a report confirming the government’s intention to roll out the experiment.

The general concept of basic income involves a government handing out a flat-rate income to every single citizen within a country, either by replacing existing benefits or to top them up.

Proponents of the idea say it would save on welfare administration costs, reduce the poverty traps of traditional welfare states, be fair to people who have jobs, and give people more autonomy in general.

(Read more)
Canadian province Ontario plans to trial universal basic income | Americas | News | The Independent

-------------
We Should Applaud Ontario's Plans To Pilot A Basic Income Guarantee

Hot on the heels of Quebec's plans to work towards a basic income guarantee and aGlobe and Mail Editorial Board endorsement came an announcement last Thursday of a pilot as part of Ontario's provincial budget. On that very day, Senator Art Eggleton in Ottawa tabled a motion that the Senate of Canada encourage the federal government to do the same.

The Basic Income Guarantee (BIG) is a strategy for poverty reduction that is simpler and more effective than our existing social assistance systems. Quite simply, individuals whose incomes fall below a certain level get topped up to a level that would meet basic needs. This streamlined approach would replace existing social assistance programs, and would provide much-needed income security for the increasing numbers of Canadians in precarious and part-time work. If designed correctly, it should also eliminate some of the perverse incentives of the "welfare wall" that institutionalize poverty in Canada.


(Read more)
We Should Applaud Ontario's Plans To Pilot A Basic Income Guarantee | Laura Anderson

-------------------------

Canada Plans to Try a Basic Income Program to Combat Poverty\

While details about the pilot program have not been released, Ontario's government included the basic income pilot program in budget documents released on Thursday, The Huffington Post reports. Premier of Ontario Kathleen Wynne said that the government "will test a growing view at home and abroad that a basic income could build on the success of minimum wage policies and increases in child benefits by providing more consistent and predictable support in the context of today’s dynamic labour market."

Canada isn't the only country experimenting with a basic income. Finland and the Netherlands both have similar programs slated to launch this year, and voters in Switzerland will vote on a referendum to initiate a basic income system that offers citizens about $3,200 per month in June.

(Read more)

Canada Will Provide a Basic Income to Combat Poverty


--------------------
Ontario basic income pilot: What can we learn from it?
The Basic Income Guarantee is having a moment.

Hot on the heels of Quebec’s plans to work toward a basic income guarantee came an announcement last Thursday of a pilot in Ontario’s budget. Sen. Art Eggleton also tabled a motion that the Senate encourage the federal government to do the same.

The Basic Income Guarantee (BIG) is a strategy for poverty reduction that is simpler and more effective than existing social assistance systems. Individuals whose incomes fall below a certain level get topped up to a level that would meet basic needs. This streamlined approach would replace existing social assistance programs and provide much-needed income security for Canadians in precarious and part-time work. If designed correctly, it should eliminate some perverse incentives of the “welfare wall” that institutionalize poverty.

A series of pilot projects now seems inevitable. What should we hope to learn from them?



(Read more)
Ontario basic income pilot: What can we learn from it? | The Chronicle Herald


-------

LET ME MAKE THIS CLEAR, I am neither for, nor against basic income plans. Right now, I'm looking at both the pros and cons, and both sides have very valid arguments to make.

It has become clear that the world, at least the western world, is moving towards a basic universal income plan. This is especially important, as automation is soon going to affect upwards of 70 million jobs globally within this decade, a vast majority in the west.

We also know that a majority of countries around the world already have some form of basic income plan, even if they don't call or even recognize them as such. From the US welfare system, to Pakistan's Benazir Income Support Programme.

A small video to explain how automation will affect the world economy...


A basic understanding of one way to deal with a basic income plan...

Learn | Basic Income Supplement

For those that say such a program will make people lazy, Canada did conduct a previous pilot project (mincome project) that ended up getting shelved due to political hurdles. Regardless of the incomplete pilot, the results that were shown, were remarkable. Increased mental and physical health, decreased hospital visitation, and decreased bureaucratic nonsense. The biggest result was a 100% complete elimination of poverty and homelessness...

Mincome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

While there was a slight, negligible decrease in employment and job hunting, a majority of the decrease was due to people going back to college and university to complete their education. As for youth, high school graduation became a record high, as more youths no longer felt the need to sacrifice their studies, in order to find a job.

--------------

My biggest concern is that the first victim of this income plan will be the universal health care. Unless the income given is between CND$30,000-40,000 annually, which it won't be, that will not cover vital hospital or clinic visits. Right now, the figure the Ontario government is rumored to be looking at is somewhere around CND$18,000-20,000 annually, which is nowhere near enough for a majority of people to even consider it a basic income.

Even if we were to say that the universal health care is not being cut, there is the concern of affordability. Ontario (not to mention Canada) is already heavily in debt, where is the money going to come from? Even if all welfare and government insurance programs were cut to pay for this scheme, it will wouldn't be enough, as just Ontario would require at least CND$150-200 BILLION to even pay 10,000 per-person and only in Ontario. Keep in mind, Canada's national budget is close to CND$250 billion, which means that Canada would have to cut vital services, just to pay for this program.

@Oscar @waz @notorious_eagle @niaz @MastanKhan @Horus @WebMaster @MaarKhoor @Desertfalcon @WAJsal @jaibi @TankMan @HAIDER @jhungary @Chinese-Dragon @Windjammer @Quwa @Nihonjin1051 @Zarvan @pakistani342 @Talwar e Pakistan @nair @500 @DavidSling @boomslang @gambit @dadeechi @Icarus @Irfan Baloch @Imran Khan @Atanz @Viper0011. @mingle @Spring Onion @DESERT FIGHTER @Abingdonboy @Akheilos @Syed.Ali.Haider @Abu Zolfiqar @SpArK @fatman17 @Armstrong @AgNoStiC MuSliM @cb4

Thoughts?


Wow. Time to move to Canada. I worked in both Ontario and Montreal. Both of them are great places to live.

Universal basic income along with free Healthcare.

What else does one want in life.

 
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Wow. Time to move to Canada. I worked in both Ontario and Montreal. Both of them are great places to live.

Universal basic income along with free Healthcare.

What else does one want in life.
That's the thing I explain in the end, no one is sure if the healthcare system will even exists, if this happens. The government needs funds for this program, and the first cuts are gonna be welfare programs, which may or may not include Canada's government healthcare insurance.

Also, moving here may not be worth the effort. The money you make will be just enough to live on and pay your basic needs, nothing more, and it's only a temporary experiment that may or may not become permanent.
 
.
Doesn't exactly go hand-in-hand with Trudeau's plan for a 3-year deficit, does it? With oil prices bottoming out, I can't see why Ontario leaders would choose this moment in time to unveil this plan.
 
. .
Doesn't exactly go hand-in-hand with Trudeau's plan for a 3-year deficit, does it? With oil prices bottoming out, I can't see why Ontario leaders would choose this moment in time to unveil this plan.
It may be because everyone has been debating it for the last few years. It's reached a fever pitch, and world leaders are seriously considering it.

I highly doubt this system would work, it puts high stress on states economy but one can imagine the benefits.
Not necessarily true, while the federal government would have to foot a majority of the bill, there are major benefits to this.

First, bureaucracy in the system basically becomes negligible, because a vast majority of welfare programs become redundant, thus get cut.

Two, provincial governments would also be footing a portion of the bill, and would be the ones in charge of making sure the money gets redistributed. The biggest concern here is that the provincial government would have to work with the Canada revenue agency to make this program work, and the two do not get a long.
 
.
That's the thing I explain in the end, no one is sure if the healthcare system will even exists, if this happens. The government needs funds for this program, and the first cuts are gonna be welfare programs, which may or may not include Canada's government healthcare insurance.

Also, moving here may not be worth the effort. The money you make will be just enough to live on and pay your basic needs, nothing more, and it's only a temporary experiment that may or may not become permanent.

Yes. As you say if this program is going to eat up into the free healthcare program then it is not worth it.

At one point in time may US companies had pension plans. Slowly they have been dropped in favor of 401K plans where majority of contribution comes from the employee and a nominal from the employer.

With the universal healthcare act, the insurance prices have drastically gone up too.

US is turning out to be a very costly place to live.

Is Canada still encouraging immigration?
 
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Yes. As you say if this program is going to eat up into the free healthcare program then it is not worth it.

At one point in time may US companies had pension plans. Slowly they been dropped in favor of 401K plans where majority of contribution comes from the employee and a nominal from the employer.

With the universal healthcare act, the insurance prices have drastically gone too.

US is turning out to be a very costly place to live.

Is Canada still encouraging immigration?
It is, but not as much as it use to.
 
. .
It may be because everyone has been debating it for the last few years. It's reached a fever pitch, and world leaders are seriously considering it.

Are there any US states that have adopted this? How has it worked for them so far?
 
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Are there any US states that have adopted this? How has it worked for them so far?
The closest that comes to mind is Alaska.

Alaska Permanent Fund - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It's not exactly a basic guaranteed income, but it's pretty damn close, and it has worked extremely well. I remember when the republicans tried to torpedo the fund, but there was such a huge backlash, that they ended up backing off.

It's worked so well, even suggesting that it should be reformed is akin to political suicide.

Same with the Fins...

Finland is considering giving every citizen a basic income - Quartz

and the Swiss are going to have a non-binding referendum, which is likely going to fail, as there is little public support...

Swiss referendums, 2016 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hidden agendas, they just don't say we dont want immigrants, that is all. I am not impressed with Express entry, but then no point in blaming Canadian Govt.
Well, the liberals have loosened the rules and restrictions, so it may not all be a hidden agenda.
 
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A vibrant economy should feel like this so that the population can directly benefit from it. A true vibrant economy is much more than annual growth metrics elsewhere which is quite often phoney.
 
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Another concern is Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), which would be another victim. Right now, a lot of recipients receive quite a bit of compensation, which there is no way that any basic income could ever cover completely. Unless they make this basic income a supplement to certain welfare programs such as ODSP and Canada's universal health care program, I do not see such a program being popular, but if they do make it a supplement, it would no longer become affordable.
 
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