QUESTION PERIOD — Employment and Social Development
Guaranteed Livable Income
November 29, 2023
My question is for Senator Gold. Last week, P.E.I. released a study outlining a model for a fully funded five‑to-seven-year guaranteed livable basic income demonstration project for the province, setting out a path forward for provincial and federal collaboration. For several years, the province has been clear that it has full cross-party support and wants to move ahead with a guaranteed livable basic income but requires federal support to do so.
Last month, you indicated that the government will continue to monitor research and analysis on basic income and that the government is exploring potential short-term and long-term policy responses to address the needs of Canadians.
In what concrete ways will the news from P.E.I. affect the government’s approach to guaranteed livable basic income?
Thank you for your question and for your continued advocacy on behalf of this initiative.
In terms of concrete action, the Government of Canada has taken very concrete steps over many years now — from 2015 to 2021 — with various programs. Approximately 2.3 million Canadians have been lifted out of poverty, including more than 650,000 children. These are the concrete steps that the government has taken and will continue to take.
With regard to your question about the P.E.I. study and model, my understanding is, senator, that the government will be reviewing this study as well as other research on basic income in order to determine what the best policy approach is going forward.
Right now, I feel like I’ve got Hugh Segal sitting on my shoulder, urging me to ask this: When can P.E.I. expect a response from the federal government to ongoing requests for partnership on this provincial guaranteed livable basic income demonstration project?
With only 15 seconds left, I don’t have time for the kind of run-on sentences that our regretfully departed colleague would have spoken.
I don’t have a timeline for that, senator, but I can assure you the government is reviewing it seriously.
