Moving to establish basic income for all
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/05/2021 (739 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
On April 28, I brought forward a unanimous consent motion in the House of Commons for the establishment of a guaranteed livable basic income (GLBI), also known as Motion-46.
A GLBI would provide a regular and unconditional livable income to those who need it, as an effort to ensure the dignity and human rights of all people living in Canada. Unfortunately, the Liberals said no to my motion.
Regardless, the movement built by thousands across the country in support of Motion-46 has truly changed the conversation around basic income.
Since launching Motion-46 in August 2020, we gathered over 40,000 signatures from folks around the country, including thousands of people here in Winnipeg Centre.
This is why Motion-46 is only the beginning and why I won’t back down. I am so encouraged by the strength of our movement, and the collective will to end poverty in Canada.
This is an especially urgent crisis in Manitoba, where the poverty rate is increasing while the national overall rate falls, according to the most recent Statistics Canada data. Particularly concerning is the child poverty rate in our province. Last December,
Campaign 2000 reported a 28.3 per cent child poverty rate in Manitoba. This is the second-highest in Canada, and 10.1 per cent above the national average.
A GLBI isn’t a silver bullet. Alongside an income guarantee, we must also strengthen and expand our social safety net. For example, the 2021 budget promise for national child care is an opportunity for us to push for universally accessible, affordable and high-quality public child care in Winnipeg. In Manitoba, almost one in three pre-schoolers live in poverty. In a recent study, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives found that Winnipeg has a 41 per cent child care coverage rate and a median cost of $451 per month. Publicly funded and publicly-managed child care will help eradicate child poverty, advance children’s rights and reduce wealth inequality.
I’m deeply proud to represent Winnipeg Centre in Parliament. The campaign for Motion-46 is further evidence that we are leaders in the movement to eliminate poverty. I will continue working alongside our community to ensure a future where all people in Canada can live with dignity, security, and human rights.
Please reach out to my office anytime. You can email (leah.gazan@parl.gc.ca), call (204-984-1675), or sign-up for updates on my website (https://www.leahgazan.ca/contact).
Leah Gazan
Winnipeg Centre constituency report
Leah Gazan is the NDP Member of Parliament for Winnipeg Centre.