In 2020, the Government of PEI accepted the recommendations of its Special Committee on Poverty to create a basic income guarantee (BIG) for PEI in collaboration with the federal government. In 2022, all parties in the Legislature reaffirmed their support for a BIG in PEI.
In response to the PEI Government’s support for a BIG for PEI, Coalition Canada convened a team of economists, former federal MP’s, sitting PEI MLA’s, policy experts and advocates to develop a proposal for the implementation of a BIG-PEI demonstration project. The team worked for over two years to develop a feasible, affordable federal/provincial demonstration project.
In November 2023, the team released its report, A Proposal for a Guaranteed Basic Income for PEI, answering many of the questions and concerns related to such an income assistance benefit. This report has changed the conversation about a national basic income guarantee benefit in Canada
In July 2024, three former federal MPs who were members of the report team, Wayne Easter (Liberal – PEI), Jean Crowder (NDP – BC) and Bruce Stanton (Conservative – Ontario) authored an article published in National Newswatch (July 7, 2024). Here they argued that a GBI is an evolution of our social support system, not a revolution, and that the implementation of a Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) demonstration project in PEI would address the doubts and concerns that people have regarding the merits and affordability of a GBI benefit. They contended that a multi-year GBI program in PEI is a practical and affordable way to demonstrate that a GBI for working age Canadians is a far superior way to eliminate poverty than the myriad of targeted, often dysfunctional social assistance schemes…(read the full article….)
A Federal/Provincial Working Group is established to study the PEI-GBI report
In September 2024, the Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Family, Children and Social Development in collaboration with PEI’s Minister of Social Development and Seniors, the Honourable Barbara Ramsey, established a federal/provincial working group to study the data and administrative structure of a 5 to 7-year Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) demonstration project for PEI.