The pandemic has exposed significant gaps in Canada’s social safety net for working-age adults. Some governments and major political parties see the current economic circumstances as an opportunity to make fundamental changes to our income security programs — adapt them to the modern workforce and address the root causes of poverty.
On May 4, 2021, the IRPP held an in-depth conversation on the shortcomings of Canada’s safety net and the path forward. The event discussed the question, Is a universal basic income an idea whose time has come? Our guests included the members of an expert panel on this topic set up by the BC government and the authors of Covering all the Basics: Reforms for a More Just Society. This event kickstarted a series of webinars presenting how the BC panel’s research could be part of the discussion on the reform of Canada’s safety net for working-age adults, the topic of the next IRPP Art of the State collection.
Video
Presentation
