Economy

The Case for Basic Income

The Agenda with Steve Paikin

View Transcript

Under the former Liberal government, Hamilton, Thunder Bay, and Lindsay were test cities for a basic-income pilot. Eligible citizens were offered a guaranteed annual income. The idea was to check on how the participants' lives changed after three years, then decide whether to take the plan provincewide. Subsequently, the new PC government cancelled the pilot. The Agenda welcomes Evelyn Forget, who's spent four decades researching this subject, much of which is captured in her new book, "Basic Income for Canadians : The Key to a Healthier, Happier, More Secure Life for All."

Episode:

A Musical for the Times; The Case for a Basic Income

Related tags:

Politics Society

Aired:

May 09, 2019

Show Comments

The Agenda Videos

25:53

Electroconvulsive Therapy

May 09, 2019
9:18

Walls to Bridges

Nov 30, 2018
1:59

Ontario Hubs: Wrestling for Success

Aug 16, 2019
27:08

Ian Waddell: A Life in Progressive Politics

Aug 16, 2019
26:28

Finding Refuge: International Animal Rescue

Aug 15, 2019
8:45

Why Great Lakes Cruising is on the Rise

Aug 14, 2019
17:51

Revamping the Blue Box

Aug 14, 2019
26:16

Summer Gun Violence

Aug 13, 2019
26:25

Two for One: An Ambassadorial Mission

Aug 12, 2019
4:04

Ontario Hubs: Kenora's Shelter Crisis

Aug 09, 2019
22:27

Reform School in the Jim Crow Era

Aug 09, 2019
26:28

Truth and Fantasy in Literature

Aug 08, 2019

Documentaries

The Heat: A Kitchen (R)evolution (Feature Version)
August 18, 2019 - 1:11:15
Maya Gallus's documentary profiles seven female chefs who are rewriting the rules of kitchen culture in the male-dominated restaurant industry.
Ep. 6 - Tokyo
The Life-Sized City
August 18, 2019 - 52:00
Modern Tokyo is a fascinating urban mystery. The largest urban agglomeration in the world, it is home to 38 million people.
Secrets of the Giant Manta Ray
National Geographic
August 18, 2019 - 48:34
A remote marine sanctuary in Indonesia is home to some of the greatest biodiversity on the planet, including the mysterious giant manta ray.
Land Grabbing
August 18, 2019 - 56:26
The world's farmland is at risk. Demand for land has soared globally as investors look for places to grow a profit.
The Great Canadian Tax Dodge
August 18, 2019 - 51:33
This film examines the issue of tax avoidance and the strategies used by corporations and wealthy individuals.
Wild Yellowstone: Ep. 1 - Frozen Frontier
National Geographic
August 18, 2019 - 44:00
No place on Earth is like Yellowstone in winter, where every animal has its own strategy of survival.
Ep. 8 - Waterton
Striking Balance
August 17, 2019 - 51:18
Grizzlies are increasingly protected in Alberta, challenging the ranchers of the Waterton Biosphere Reserve to find new ways to coexist with them.
Mugshot
August 17, 2019 - 51:00
"Mugshot" explores the bewildering world of mugshots and examines their cultural significance and value to contemporary society.
Mixed Match
August 17, 2019 - 56:50
People of mixed ethnicity face complex challenges when trying to find compatible donors to treat life-threatening blood diseases.

The Agenda with Steve Paikin

Ontario Hubs: Wrestling for Success
August 16, 2019 - 1:59
Northeastern Ontario Hub reporter Claude Sharma discusses how the Canadian Wrestling Federation is helping Indigenous communities learn how to deal with issues such as bullying.
Ian Waddell: A Life in Progressive Politics
August 16, 2019 - 27:08
Nam Kiwanuka talks to Ian Waddell about his book, "Take The Torch: A Political Memoir."
Finding Refuge: International Animal Rescue
August 15, 2019 - 26:28
Nam Kiwanuka talks to Spencer Sekyer about his book, "Saving Manno: What a Baby Chimp Taught Me About Making the World a Better Place."
Why Great Lakes Cruising is on the Rise
August 14, 2019 - 8:45
Ontario Hubs field producer Jeyan Jeganathan explains why cruising the Great Lakes is on the rise and how First Nations communities on Manitoulin Island are teaching passengers about their culture.
Revamping the Blue Box
August 14, 2019 - 17:51
Ontario Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Jeff Yurek talks to Nam Kiwanuka about the province's recyclying overhaul.
Summer Gun Violence
August 13, 2019 - 26:16
The Agenda discusses the increase in gun violence in Toronto and what can be done to curb it.
Two for One: An Ambassadorial Mission
August 12, 2019 - 26:25
Bruce and Vicky Heyman talk to Nam Kiwanuka about their book, "The Art of Diplomacy: Strengthening the Canada-U.S. Relationship in Times of Uncertainty."
Ontario Hubs: Kenora's Shelter Crisis
August 9, 2019 - 4:04
Northwestern Ontario Hub reporter Jon Thompson discusses the closure of a Kenora homeless shelter.
Reform School in the Jim Crow Era
August 9, 2019 - 22:27
Nam Kiwanuka talks to Colson Whitehead about his new novel, "The Nickel Boys."

Current Affairs

Reviving Great Lakes waterfronts for fun and profit

A new report finds that the economic benefits of cleaning up post-industrial waterfronts are huge — and that such efforts could pay even bigger dividends in the future.
TVO.org daily: Thursday, August 15

Homes without kitchens, the blue bin's last gasp, and remembering jazz great Oscar Peterson on his birthday
#onpoli newsletter - Fake news: what do you need to know?

A visit to the cottage prompts some thoughts on where the future of information is headed.
How can wrestling help First Nations communities?

The Canadian Wrestling Federation puts on a show when it visits Indigenous communities. But it also takes on pressing issues like substance abuse, bullying, and suicide.
Excerpt: Spencer Sekyer’s ‘Saving Manno’

In his new memoir, the Edmonton teacher and international volunteer explains what drove him to dedicate three years of his life to rescuing a chimpanzee from a zoo in Iraq.
TVO.org daily: Wednesday, August 14

Reconsidering the blue bin, talking about gun violence, and a 19th-century digital prophet
Charities need millennials to start giving. But do millennials have anything to give?

Charitable organizations are relying on a dwindling pool of higher-income donors. Experts say that the sector needs to connect with the younger generation — but it can be hard to convince millennials to give when many don’t have the means.
TVO.org daily: Tuesday, August 13

Canada’s unsung songwriter, the ‘confusing mess’ of legal-aid cuts, and combating gun violence in Toronto
Do homes without kitchens mark the end of human civilization?

OPINION: Probably not. But the rising trend does say a lot about capitalism, hopelessness, priorities — and how we eat now.