441-02051 (Social affairs and equality)

The Government of Canada is taking crucial steps to help make life more affordable for more Canadians, while investing to grow the economy and create jobs. 

It is important to acknowledge that income security is a shared responsibility across different levels of government. As such, the federal Government recognizes the importance of working with provinces and territories to find solutions to common challenges.

This petition calls for the implementation of a Guaranteed Livable Income, which can be viewed as equivalent to a basic income. The Government of Canada already has ongoing programs with features of a partial basic income, such as the Canada Child Benefit for families with children, as well as the Old Age Security (OAS) pension and the Guaranteed Income Supplement for seniors. In addition, existing programs such as the Canada Workers Benefit (CWB) and Employment Insurance (EI) help low-income individuals that have labour market attachment or those with insurable employment. These and other initiatives have contributed to progress on lifting Canadians out of poverty. These programs exist alongside provincial and territorial programs, including those that deliver social assistance.

In addition, recent budgets introduced several measures that will help to reduce poverty and inequality. For example, Budget 2023 made significant investments to build a healthier Canada and deliver affordable dental care, including $13 billion over five years, and $4.4 billion ongoing, to implement the Canada Dental Care Plan. 

The Government is also working with provincial, territorial and Indigenous partners to build a Canada-wide, community-based early learning child care system. The federal government is providing provinces and territories with significant funding to support substantial reductions to families for the cost of regulated child care spaces.

The Government of Canada also undertakes research and analysis on potential basic income programs and other approaches that could positively impact Canada’s economy and society, as part of its efforts to tackle poverty and to ensure that all Canadians have a real and fair opportunity to succeed.