Federal election 2025 – Vote April 28th!
Here is what you can do during the election to advocate for a Basic Income Guarantee (BIG)
Speak to your candidates when they knock at your door. We have a handout with some questions you can ask.
if your not home or unavailable, put this door hanger on your front door. It tells the candidate that voters in this household intend to vote for basic income and asks them if they support a BIG. They can write their answer on the hanger to let you know their views on basic income.
Attend All Candidates Meetings in your riding and try to raise a question during the meeting. We have prepared draft scripts and questions you ask at these meetings. If you are not successful getting your question raised during the meeting, try to greet the candidates in person. Introduce yourself and tell them a BIG is important to you and why, then ask your question(s) to them directly.
Write a letter to each of your candidates. and copy your letter to their party leader. We have a draft letter you can use, with contact information for the party leaders. Make sure to personalize each letter by letting them know that you are a voter who lives in the riding they are running in. Also tell them why a basic income is important to you.
After the election
Follow up with your newly elected MP and ask for a meeting to have a conversation with them about BIG. Here are some talking points to help you with these important conversations.
How to advocate for a national Basic Income Guarantee (BIG) after the federal election
Get more familiar with what we are advocating for when we say Basic Income:
- Check out what Coalition Canada is advocating for: The Basic Income We Want.
- Review our Talking Points. These 2 pages will help prepare you to have good conversations about BIG.
- Then take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions, so you know the answers to questions that are usually raised when talking about BIG.
Want to learn more?
- Take a closer look at the PEI Report: A Proposal for a Guaranteed Basic Income for PEI and see how far we’ve come in our understanding of and our advocacy for a Basic Income Guarantee for Canada.
- Take a look at our Case for Basic Income Series, where topic experts briefly explain why a Basic Income Guarantee is important to their sector and to their stakeholders.
Here are some quick and easy actions you can take:
Talk to your family and friends about BIG
Here are some talking points to help you with these important conversations, including what a BIG is; how support for a BIG is growing across Canada; and examples of Canadian income assistance programs that are like a BIG. Make it personal by adding why a BIG is important to you, and you have the makings of a great conversation!
Write a letter to your MP or MLA, and ask to meet with them.
Check out our draft letter for some helpful ideas. Personalize your letter. Tell them you live in their riding and why a basic income guarantee is important to you. Ask for a meeting so you can have a conversation with them about basic income. If your MP would like more information, we can help organize a meeting with experts your MP would like to speak to. We can suggest the right expert to speak with your MP, You can email us here.
Paper Petitions
Paper Petitions are more work than electronic ones, BUT ARE MORE EFFECTIVE. If you present a paper petition to an MP with just 30 signatures, you can ask them to present your petition in the House of Commons. We have had many of these presented by MPs in Parliament. This is a concrete way for elected officials to measure public interest in a BIG. We have paper petitions that are ready for you to use.