Jun
25
3:00pm
The Political Ecology of Basic Income in Canada: A conversation across the political spectrum
By The BIG Conference
This is a three person panel, with an elected politician, an academic and a journalist.
Basic Income is not a partisan idea. In fact, it has strong supporters across the political spectrum. Though conservative support is less well known, many conservatives support basic income because they see its potential to limit the need for, and reliance on, other social programs. It reduces the costs of poverty, and the amount government spends on healthcare, housing, and legal systems. It offers freedom of choice, and supports opportunities for career advancement, like making it easier to retrain and find higher paying work. Those on the left understand Basic Income adds value to unpaid care work and other forms of work that aren’t tethered to employment (volunteers, stay-at-home parents, elder caregivers, etc.) in ways that our current income support systems do not.
Join us for a conversation to explore why basic income resonates and how we can encourage support across the political spectrum.
Speakers
Jennifer Robson, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Jennifer Robson is Associate Professor of Political Management at Carleton University. She has two decades of experience in Canadian social policy in first in government, then the non-profit sector and now academia. She has advised Canadian governments on income support, tax policy and more and continues to collaborate with non-profit groups serving low-income and vulnerable Canadians.
Laurie Monsebraaten, former Social Justice Reporter for the Toronto Star
Laurie Monsebraaten is a former Social Justice Reporter for the Toronto Star, where she wrote about poverty, inequality and social programs including welfare, child care, Children's Aid and disability rights. Other interests include affordable housing, Basic Income, and the plight of low-wage, non-standard workers. A Star reporter for almost 40 years, Laurie's work has received numerous National Newspaper Award nominations and has garnered three citations of merit for the prestigious Michener Award for public service journalism.
Trish Altass, Member of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island
Trish Altass is a community-based researcher whose work has involved exploring lived experiences and collaborating with government departments, community organizations and vulnerable populations. Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to work that supports the development of a more equitable society where everyone can live healthy, well and strong within their communities and families. Trish has been a strong advocate for policy development based on the social determinants of health and the need for a basic income guarantee to eliminate poverty. She was also a founding member of the Community Engaged Scholarship Institute at the University of Guelph, focused on building community-university partnerships, community engagement and social innovation. In addition to her research and community work, she has been a union leader, serving as women’s council chair and local president of the teaching assistant and sessional faculty union at the University of Guelph, CUPE 3913. Trish was elected to represent District 23, Tyne Valley-Sherbrooke on April 23, 2019, and is currently the opposition critic for Economic Growth, Tourism and Culture. She is also the Official Opposition Whip. Trish chaired the Special Committee on Poverty in PEI that came forward with costed recommendations for a basic income for PEI. Trish was born in Eastern PEI, and after many years living away, she relocated to Summerside where she lives with her partner and son.
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