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
The 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), where they argue 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 contend 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 GBI report
In 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.
We need your help to ensure this Working Group is widely supported
Send a letter to your MP
Write to your MP asking them to raise a question in the House of Commons regarding the status of the federal/provincial working group for a Guaranteed Basic Income demonstration project in PEI.
Personalized emails work better than form letters. For example, start the email by introducing yourself and let them know if you live in their riding. Also please add sentence or two about why a Guaranteed Basic Income and this Demonstration Project in PEI is important to you.
If you don’t hear from them in a timely manner, follow up with another email and then a phone call to their constituency office. If they do respond to you, please remember to send them a word of thanks for their attention to this matter.
Send a letter to Minister Jenna Sudds, and send a copy your local MP
Ask Minister Sudds to put in a request to Minister Freeland for the Federal/PEI Working Group to be included in the 2025 Budget.
Write a Letter to the Editor or post your support for the Working Group on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and other social media platforms
The draft letters can also be used to provide ideas to help you write a letter to your local newspaper, or to post your support of a 5 to 7-year basic income demonstration project for PEI on all your social media platforms.