Re: guaranteed basic income.
Perhaps it is time for a guaranteed basic income, but it’s not clear on how it should be implemented. Just giving everyone a basic paycheque, whether or not they are working, will only cause problems.
A lot of folks will just leave the labour force, exacerbating an already serious shortage of labour. Care must be taken to develop a guaranteed income that encourages folks to work.
A better solution would be to have the government top up income at income tax filing time to the basic guaranteed income if a minimum number of hours are worked by the applicant to qualify for supplementation. If the basic number of hours are not worked, the top-up would be prorated.
If a person cannot work, that person would have to seek assistance through other government programs. That way folks will be encouraged to stay in the workforce.
Don Swiatlowski,
North Cowichan