QUESTION PERIOD — Employment and Social Development
National Advisory Council on Poverty
October 30, 2024
Senator Gold, yesterday the annual report of the National Advisory Council on Poverty emphasized a growing sense of desperation and abandonment amongst those most marginalized. Fittingly titled A Time for Urgent Action, the report lists as its number one recommendation:
. . . work across governments to introduce a basic income floor, indexed to the cost of living, that would provide adequate resources . . . for people to be able to meet their basic needs, thrive and make choices with dignity . . . .
The council notes that guaranteed livable income is a key way that such a floor can be realized. In light of this recommendation from its key advisory council on poverty, what new and concrete steps will the government be taking to evaluate and implement guaranteed livable income?
Senator Pate, thank you for your question and your continued advocacy on this important file. The government is committed to ensuring that Canadian families, workers and seniors are able to make ends meet and have a fair chance to succeed. There is no question that basic income could help to address poverty. There are, as you know, significant design challenges and considerations that require further study, including funding, implications for existing programs and potential effects on the labour market. There have been insufficient pilot projects to date, and that is regrettable.
The government, nonetheless, is continuing its work to provide support to Canadians, lifting over 2.3 million Canadians out of poverty between 2015 and 2021, including over 650,000 children. More needs to be done and will be done.
Thank you. The National Advisory Council on Poverty report emphasizes that poverty is rising — an increase of 1.4 million people in poverty over two years. The government has taken, as you have identified, laudable first steps towards guaranteed livable income, including the Canada Child Benefit, which operates as a form of basic income, but it’s not enough. The inadequacy of the Canada Disability Benefit has increased concerns, as you know and as we’ve discussed here.
I just came from Victoria earlier this week, where they are interested in doing another pilot. To your point, does the government agree that it’s time to examine next steps?
I am confident that the government would welcome continuing research, pilots and the like on this important issue because, again, it is an attractive option, but some of the challenges and complications around it should not and cannot be underestimated. I’m not speaking officially for the government, but I have confidence that it would welcome further work in this area.
