Ontario's Austerity Government Sets Basic Income Trap
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- Published on Tuesday, 15 November 2016 01:30
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A Socialist Project e-bulletin .... No. 1339 .... November 15, 2016
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Ontario’s Austerity Government Sets Basic Income Trap
John Clarke
The Ontario Government's Adviser on Basic Income (BI), Hugh Segal, has released his much heralded discussion paper, "Finding a Better Way," that sets out his proposals for a lengthy BI pilot project. If the experiment he advocates is put into effect, it will run parallel to the deliberations of a Security Reform Working Group that will be considering changes to the present social assistance system in the province, rather than replacement to it.
Segal's proposal is being put forward in an international context of considerably enhanced interest in the notion of Basic Income (BI). The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) has been very sceptical when considering the nature and possibilities of BI in general but,... before taking this up, a few comments are necessary on the particular features of the situation in this province. As far as we're concerned, there is no reason to believe that the Ontario Liberals have the slightest intention of improving the lot of those living in poverty and their track record can only lead to the conclusion that they are putting in place another round of futile deliberations to divert attention from their real agenda of austerity and war on the poor.
Consultations of this kind have been used for years now to trick people into believing action on poverty is being prepared, as real incomes have declined, related benefits and supports have been cut and the numbers forced to work for poverty wages has grown massively. Bluntly, even if we believed that Basic Income was a viable and likely means of addressing poverty and inequality, we would remain convinced that the impending consultative circus is an exercise in duplicity. The Liberals aren't acting in good faith and, in any event, the process of deliberations will extend beyond the present political mandate of this deeply unpopular government.
