Basic income | Canada could have provided a universal basic income that would eliminate poverty – El Salto

A basic income guarantee of € 22,000 per year for every Canadian citizen. A study shows that this will be possible but with an earlier fiscal shift in the North American country: a big tax hike on top incomes.

The Transfer From the Canadian Basic Income Network (BICN) shows how distributing this money to every adult resident of the state would practically eliminate poverty. To demonstrate this, he launched a simulation to study how three different basic income programs affect the national budget. The results were published January 23.

According to the Canada Basic Income Network with Basic Income, the percentage of people living below the poverty line will decrease by as much as 95%, and the 10% of people with lower incomes will see their resources quadruple.

All scenarios managed by BICN will contribute to improving the living conditions of the population with fewer resources and narrowing the inequality gap in the country: reducing the proportion of the population living below the poverty line to 95%, with very visible impacts in the 10% of the lowest income earners who may see their resources multiply by a factor 3.5 to 4.5 times. BICN finally took a simulation of about $ 22,000 per adult as a reference because it coincides with the threshold set by various anti-poverty programs.

To fund this universal basic income, the report argues that the funds could come largely from restructuring public spending so that many anti-poverty programs at the provincial and federal levels become redundant. But it also points to the need to influence the taxes paid by higher-wage workers and by raising the corporate prices.

With regard to Canadian public support for the introduction of universal basic income, a A recent opinion poll The Angus Reed Institute showed that up to 59% of the population would support this measure in amounts up to 10,000, 20,000, or $ 30,000 per year. Basic income will be supported by Quebecers who support it at 66%, while in Alberta it will receive the least support (42%), being the only province with an opposite majority.

With regard to people’s ideology in favor of universal basic income, the consensus is very broad – 84% – among the Social Democrats in the NPD (New Democratic Party) not far from the Liberal Party voters for President Trudeau at 78%.

While six in 10 Canadians believe that high-income earners should contribute resources to secure this measure, only one in four wealthy people would be willing to pay more taxes.

However, conservatives clearly oppose the measure with only 26% in favor. The same survey shows that while 6 in 10 Canadians believe that people with high incomes should contribute resources to secure this measure, only one in four wealthy Canadians would be willing to pay more taxes.

Studies similar to the Canadian study have been conducted in recent years in Spain. The else It was introduced last June with the signature of Daniel Raventus, Jordi Arcarons, and Louise Torrence, who have a wide career in proposing funding models. Meanwhile, in Europe, prof European Citizen Initiative Which aims to collect one million signatures so that the procedure can be discussed in the community institutions.

The Spanish population is favorable

On May 25, the Basic Income Network published the results of a survey conducted by Ipsos. It is a questionnaire based on 2168 citizen interviews. The study shows beyond a reasonable doubt that the Spanish people mostly prefer to have a basic income of 715 euros, to be paid through tax reform.

The results indicate that 56% of the population “completely agrees” with a measure such as basic income. 30% “strongly oppose” and the remaining 14% do not know, do not answer.

The percentage of women and men by scale is identical: 56%, although there are more men who differ: 34% versus 26% of women. Depending on the age, this measure is greatly preferred by young people.

38% of respondents believe that basic income should only work temporarily, up to a maximum of six months after the alert state. 31%, however, estimate that basic income should be a permanent measure. Unemployed people will not give up looking for work despite having a basic income: only 8% admitted that they would stop looking for a job with a salary if they got 715 euros.