Lost potential: Ontario’s cancelled UBI study

Universal Basic Income (UBI) has been discussed for years, but it took the perfect storm of the 2008 economic crash, combined with the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” to squeeze so many workers out of the job market and so many others into precarious, low wage jobs, that policymakers worldwide began to look seriously at providing citizens a guaranteed income. When Ontario launched a UBI pilot study in 2017, it was one of the first trials in the world, and it promised to give economists and public-policy scholars evidence about whether UBI produces measurable benefits.

The three year Ontario Basic Income Pilot (OBIP) project began in 2017, providing low-income individuals in three communities up to $17,000 a year, or $24,000 for couples, with no strings attached. However, despite Progressive Conservative campaign promises to continue to program if they were elected, the Ford government cancelled OBIP just 10 months after the first payments went out — too soon for the data to be meaningful. This “policy-lurch” that killed OBIP is precisely what cancelled a similar study in 1979 called the Manitoba Basic Annual Income Experiment (Mincome). Ontario initially received a lot of international attention and good press for the OBIP project, but it now provides a case study of how politics bypasses the scientific community in its policy process.

Policy lurch is a built-in byproduct of our First-Past-the-Post electoral system, where false majorities are often elected with less than 40% of the vote. When each new government cancels whatever the previous government has done, instead of social progress and future-preparedness we experience lost opportunities and countless wasted tax dollars: OBIP alone had an earmarked $150 million, which has since disappeared.

Our current COVID-induced hardships have shown how valuable the data from OBIP would have been. What other victims of policy lurch might have better prepared us for these pandemic times? Maybe a minimum wage increase to $15 for “essential workers” including PSWs and cashiers; funding for health policy and research; funding for Long Term Care inspections and full-time teachers; school retrofits, labour reforms; the Green Energy Act to diversify our economy and encourage foreign investment… and many more.

False majorities lead to policy lurch, and invite decision-making that’s based on ideology, not evidence: these are hallmarks of our out-dated, misrepresentative First-Past-the-Post voting system. For more stable government, and decisions that reflect the will of the people, we need Proportional Representation!

 

Campaigning for support from Jagmeet Singh and the federal NDP

Two weeks ago, Fair Vote launched a campaign calling on Jagmeet Singh and the NDP to push for a National Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform while the Liberal government needs NDP support. The response has been amazing! Thousands of ER supporters have answered the call!

The result is that Jagmeet has publicly reaffirmed his firm support for ER – for the first time in almost a year! We need to keep up the pressure so the NDP knows that the time to act is during this Parliament!

SO, If you haven’t sent your message to Jagmeet Singh yet, please do it now!

Please share this message with anyone else you can think of who might help spread the word:

  1. Do you have friends and family who support PR?
  2. Do you belong to a riding association who might share this?
  3. Are you connected to a local social justice, environmental group or other association that might share this? Everything connects to PR!

Finally, if you are able, consider making a donation to Fair Vote Canada. Donations received in the next few weeks will go towards ads on social media prompting others to send a letter or join our movement.


Upcoming Events

What’s Climate Change got to do with Electoral Reform?

Find out on Wednesday, October 21 at 7pm! We’re hosting a webinar with author, policy analyst and activist Seth Klein called A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency, and How Proportional Representation Would Help. Klein’s recent book of the same name, nearly, argues that the massive societal shifts and government actions needed for an all-out fight against climate change.compare to what Canada went through to face a different existential threat during World War II.

Seth will discuss the lessons we can take from Canada’s wartime experience, including the political contexts then and now. What are the political obstacles that prevent effective action on climate change and other important issues? How might Proportional Representation help to produce lasting solutions?

Save the date and register soon for this Seth Klein webinar, followed by a Q+A.

 

Graphic Design Workshop – Wednesday, October 28, 7-8 pm EST

Have you ever wanted to create a poster or image for social media, but just didn’t know how to get started? Join us Wednesday, October 28th from 7-8pm EST for a crash course in graphic design! We’ll be using Canva.com, a free and intuitive website that anyone can easily pick up.

We’ll guide you through the tips, tools and resources you’ll need to get started on your graphic design journey. This is a workshop for everyone, no previous experience is required. With our help, you’ll be making your own posters and images in no time!

Letter Writer’s Drop-In – Wednesday, September 23, 7-8 pm EST

Fair Vote Toronto writers keep our issue in front of the public and politicians by getting Letters To the Editor (LTEs) published in mainstream media. In fact, we’ve had 7 published in the past month, in all 3 of Toronto’s major papers! If you’d like to join us in writing letters for PR, save the date for our next Writers’ Drop-In. We’ll go over some tools and tricks of this fun writing form, then read an article, discuss talking points and write a lead.


Current Volunteer Opportunities

Looking to get more involved with our team? Here’s what we need your help with:

  • Write Letters-to-the-Editor
  • Signal boost our social media posts
  • Community builders on social media; engaging with our posts or building relationships with others
  • Creating graphics (eg: Canva) for social media and website
  • Create an informational blurb about PR to add to reddit posts
  • Write a newsletter edition with one of us
  • Website updates (wordpress)
  • #MakeYourVoiceHeard – use our hashtag!

 

fair vote toronto proportional representation electoral reform canada volunteer rendezvous

The First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities each have distinct and different experiences of the right to vote, a.k.a. the “franchise”. From Confederation on, most First Nations people could vote if they wanted to — but only if they gave up their “Indian status”. This would mean they could no longer live on-reserve, they lost the right to own reserve land or inherit family property; they could not receive treaty benefits or take part in band councils and social affairs in the community, and they lost the right to be buried in cemeteries with their ancestors. Unsurprisingly, few chose to do so.