Lee Stevens, Policy and Research Specialist, sat down with Dr. Evelyn Forget to talk about on how all Canadians would benefit from basic income and how Canada could implement a basic income program.

One of the things we have to do as a society is to cast our minds more broadly when thinking about work. Work is not just working for a paycheck or working in the paid labour market. Work also includes all of the important things that lets our society keep functioning. Things like creative activity, like caregiving and volunteer work. And without those things, society wouldn't function. We need to ask ourselves is how important is it that we drive people into the workforce and force them to do a certain kind of thing if there are other contributions they could be making.

If people had a basic income, they would have the time to participate in social events and drive social change.

Support for basic income is growing, at the grassroots level and among labour advocates. Conversations about it are happening within federal political parties, so it’s encouraging.

Watch the full chat below or on our YouTube Channel.