Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

FELDSTED -- The idea of a guaranteed minimum income has never been so viable. Correctly implemented, it could solve many of our economic and social problems

 

Guaranteed basic income tops policy priorities for Liberal caucus at upcoming convention. Caucus is calling on government to adopt idea for consideration in November


Joan Bryden -- The Canadian Press / CBC News -- Sep 12, 2020

A guaranteed basic income for all Canadians has emerged as the top policy choice of Liberal MPs, just as the Trudeau government is crafting its plan to help people weather the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and rebuild the ravaged economy ...

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

The concept of a guaranteed minimum income is hardly new. It is an NDP dream, which is why the liberal caucus is so in favour. It almost guarantees passage of the Throne Speech.

Combine this with the recent announcement of a revamp of the EI program to extend COVID wage loss benefits, and Liberal tactics become even more evident.

Buy votes with government borrowing.

The idea of a guaranteed minimum income has never been so viable. Correctly implemented, it could solve many of our economic and social problems.

I have not gone socialist. Please hear me out.

We have dozens and dozens of federal and provincial programs created to help out the less fortunate. They are not coordinated or rational. Some help while others do not. What they all share is high administration costs.

Since the program would erase opportunities for governments to announce plans to give us a tiny fraction of the money, they confiscate from us as a gregarious benefit, I doubt that the Liberal caucus has thought this through

A guaranteed income would erase the need for many of these piecemeal programs.

With a guaranteed income in place, the need for EI disappears. People who suddenly find themselves unemployed have a fallback, which will guarantee the basics. The list of programs that become redundant and unnecessary is long.

The guaranteed income opponents will be the public sector unions. They will lose thousands of jobs with programs no longer delivered. The welfare industry would shrink to a fraction of what it is today. Most social work positions would disappear.

Governments would have to increase personal income tax exceptions to match the guaranteed income, which would benefit everyone. Let's imagine that the income level is $25,000 or $2,083 per month. That is barely adequate for a single person but sufficient for a pair.

The next income strata, from $25,001 to $50,000 would have a 15% flat tax applied to 50% of earnings. From $50,001 to $75,000 a 15% tax would apply to 75% of earnings.

A universal minimum wage of $12 per hour would apply. Onerous EI premiums would disappear, relieving employers of a sizeable employer tax burden. CPP premiums would continue, but the employer share would decrease over a decade to nil. People would have the option of monthly contributions to a non-taxable retirement savings plan of their choosing.

The need for daycare spaces would sharply diminish. The minimum income is more than the net income of many working spouses. That opens the door to families deciding on a stay-home parent or a parent with part-time work to accommodate children without the costs of daycare.

As with other plans, a minimum income scheme is only viable if it frees people from tax slavery. Since the program would erase opportunities for governments to announce plans to give us a tiny fraction of the money, they confiscate from us as a gregarious benefit, I doubt that the Liberal caucus has thought this through and is serious.

We don't need more smoke and mirrors to distract us from the failings of our governments.

The liberal minimum income strategy appears to be "sunny days, sunny ways" version 2.0.

We have not begun to face the debts and interest load of version 1 and do not need more of the same. Grand assurances of great things to come are an inadequate remedy for the pain most Canadians are facing.

John Feldsted ... is a political commentator, consultant, and strategist. He makes his home in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

BC’s Forestry Decline Is a Policy Failure, Not a Market Reality -- Forestry Critic Calls for Accountability and Urgent Policy Reset

Conservative Party of BC Forestry Critic, and Kamloops - North Thompson MLA,  Ward Stamer As the Truck Loggers Association convention begins today, BC Conservative Forestry Critic Ward Stamer says British Columbia’s forestry crisis is the result of government mismanagement, not market forces, and that an urgent policy reset is needed to restore certainty, sustainability, and accountability. “For generations, forestry supported families and communities across BC,” said Stamer.  “Today, mills are closing, contractors are parking equipment, and families are being forced to leave home, not because the resource is gone, but because policy has failed.” Government data shows timber shipment values dropped by more than half a billion dollars in the past year, with harvest levels falling by roughly 50 per cent in just four years. At the same time, prolonged permitting timelines, unreliable fibre access, outdated forest inventories, and rising costs have made long-term planning impossib...
Post a Comment
Read more

BC cannot regulate, redesign, and reinterpret its way to a stable forestry sector. Communities need clear rules, predictable timelines, and accountability for results.

Photo credit:  Atli Resources LP   BC’s Forestry Crisis Continues with Closure of Beaver Cove Chip Facility   As industry leaders, Indigenous partners, and contractors gather this week at the BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George, the gap between government rhetoric and reality could not be clearer. Just hours after the Eby government once again touted reconciliation, certainty, and economic opportunity under DRIPA, Atli Chip Ltd, a company wholly owned by the ’Na̱mg̱is First Nation, announced it is managing the orderly closure of its Beaver Cove chip facility. The closure comes despite public tax dollars, repeated government announcements, and assurances that new policy frameworks would stabilize forestry employment and create long-term opportunity in rural and coastal British Columbia. “British Columbians are being told one story, while communities are living another,” said Ward Stamer, Critic for Forests. “This closure makes it clear that announcement...
Post a Comment
Read more

Eby government signs another land-use agreement, as they say one thing and do another, during DRIPA chaos

While promising to fix DRIPA, the Eby government continues to quietly sign binding land-use agreements that fundamentally alter how Crown land is governed in British Columbia. On January 15, 2026, the government signed four ministerial orders advancing the Gwa’ni Land Use Planning Project with the ’Na̱mg̱is First Nation, amending the Vancouver Island Land Use Plan and changing how more than 166,000 hectares of Crown land can be accessed, developed, and managed. “This is Land Act reform by stealth,” said Critic for Indigenous Relations Scott McInnis. “British Columbians already rejected these changes once. In 2024, public backlash forced the NDP to pull its Land Act amendments. Instead of listening, this government has gone underground, signing individual deals behind closed doors, just like we’ve already seen in places such as Squamish, Teẑtan Biny, and across Northwest BC.” “The Premier admits DRIPA ( the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act) is creating ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more