QUESTION PERIOD — National Finance
Guaranteed Livable Income
July 27, 2020
In the same report the committee recommended:
That the Government of Canada with provinces, territories and Indigenous governments give full, fair and priority consideration to a basic income guarantee.
How does the government plan to effectively and quickly respond to this recommendation, one that so many Canadians currently support?
Thank you again for the question. The government received with interest and gratitude the report of the Finance Committee to which you referred. This government remains committed to ensuring that all Canadians are able to keep food on their table and a roof over their heads during this difficult time. That’s why the government, with regard to the various programs that came before us for our approval, prioritized getting money out the door as quickly as possible to support Canadians during an unprecedented crisis.
The government recognizes that people are in different situations, have different needs and require different levels of support. That’s why the government introduced a suite of programs that include, of course, the CERB, but also the wage subsidy program, about which we’ll hear more later today.
The question of a basic guaranteed income is one that is much discussed and much in the air these days. The recommendation of the Finance Committee is that the government give serious consideration to this. The government will give serious consideration to this, as are, I believe, other provinces, jurisdictions and think tanks. It is a complicated issue, and for the moment the government remains focused on ensuring that, in the very near term, Canadians get the support they need as quickly as possible.
