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Basic income is on the radar of Canada’s mayors, too, who often see the effects of poverty firsthand in their communities and are asking for new tools in order to create real change. In fact, no less than nine provincial and territorial capitals have spoken out in favour of the policy.

Internationally, countries such as Finland and the Netherlands are currently setting up pilot projects to measure the impact a basic income would have.

For his part, Duclos is currently trumpeting the federal Liberals’ new enhanced, progressive Child Tax Benefit, which is certainly a form of basic income — as is Canada’s Old Age Security system, at the other end of the age spectrum. What’s missing is secure coverage for everyone in between.

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In a radio interview with Evan Solomon earlier this month, Duclos didn’t commit to a basic income policy when asked directly about it, but neither did he rule it out. Instead, he said that “if ever it were implemented, we’d need some strong cooperation with the provinces.”

Last year at a federal Liberal policy conference, two resolutions were passed by the delegates. One resolution called for testing this basic income approach, the other for full design and implementation.

As Duclos works towards lifting hundreds of thousands of Canadians out of poverty, he would do well to revive his own thinking on this issue and get the ear of his prime minister, as this is a policy that would not only help to eliminate poverty, it is also a solution for a staid economy, because it would increase the spending power of low income Canadians.

National Post

Roderick Benns is the publisher of Leader and Legacies, a non-partisan news site with an emphasis on progressive social policies.