What’s the Status of Universal Basic Income in Canada?

The concept of providing all Canadians with free money to alleviate poverty has been gaining traction on social media, as a Universal Basic Income (UBI) bill works its way through Parliament. Bill S-233, which would require the development of a framework for a Guaranteed Livable Income, is currently being reviewed by the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance, while an equivalent private members’ bill has been tabled in the House. It is rare for private members’ bills to become legislation, unless they get the backing of the government. The first place in Canada to engage with the concept of UBI was the province of Manitoba, which launched a “Mincome” project that provided payouts to lower-income households from 1974 to 1979, in parts of Winnipeg and Dauphin. The administrators said the experiment led to a decline in hospitalizations, but the program was ended after the government cited issues with unsustainable rising costs....