Social justice thinker R.W. Connell once said: "Statistically speaking, the best advice I would give to a poor child eager to get ahead in education is to choose richer parents."

Connell's advice goes beyond education, though. Income connects not only to education outcomes, but to our very health and wellness. That's why it was heartening to hear federal Health Minister Jane Philpott speak recently of "social inequity" as the greatest barrier to improving health for Canadians. In her recent remarks to the Canadian Medical Association, Philpott cited "social factors" as a key issue that needs to be addressed to improve health.

This is the primary reason we must move forward with a basic income guarantee for Canadians. A basic income would be something that is universally available to all in times of need - no different than health care. We already have forms of basic income in place. This includes the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) for seniors and the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) intended for families with children. Both of these programs have proven effective in reducing poverty.

A basic income would cover the rest of Canadians who are currently left out and top up people's incomes to a set amount - say $18,000 per year - to stay above the poverty line. It should be an amount that is not enough for the "good life," but one that would replace a broken, ineffective and demoralizing welfare system that has been inadequate for too many years.

By collapsing the welfare system, these savings can be directed toward a basic income guarantee. Canadians spend more than $200 billion a year on health care and it is estimated that about 20 per cent of this - or $40 billion plus - is due to "health inequities between lower and higher income Canadians," according to the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP).

The cost of poverty, touching on health care, criminal justice, and lost productivity, is estimated to reach 6.6 per cent of Canada's gross domestic product. So there is substantial room for cost savings with some upstream thinking as well.

Those lucky enough to have good jobs right now might be surprised to learn that the labour market is no longer sufficient to take care of people. Good jobs are in short supply. As a United Way and McMaster University study showed last year, more than 50 per cent of all jobs in the Greater Toronto Area are precarious in some way, in that they are part time or temporary, or are jobs that lack health benefits.

While low-income earners are hit the hardest, precarious work is rapidly creating economic uncertainty within the middle class, too. Even those who are highly educated are moving from one temporary opportunity to another, creating anxiety through an increasingly wider swath of Canadians. This is not a Toronto-only phenomenon, either. In fact, it is related to an economically globalized society and is affecting all Western nations.

The fact that the federal health minister is talking openly about social inequities is a great step. Now she must go further and champion a "health in all policies" approach. Every committee it strikes, every policy it examines, every decision the government makes should be seen through a population health lens.

Supporting the creation of a basic income guarantee, in tandem with the provinces, would be a great first step.

The toleration of poverty is a continuing blight on our national legacy in a country where we should have a democratic right to equity. Canada has been blessed with a legacy of great leaders. It will be great leadership again - at national, provincial and community levels - that creates an equitable Canadian society for all.