Monday, May 15, 2006

More Evidence For A Social Wage


A new report on Canada's Social Safety net proves what I have been saying here about the need for a Social Wage for ALL Canadians, that is a Living Wage or what was once called The Guaranteed Annual Income.

"When you look at the income-security policies, nothing has fundamentally changed for these folks in 40 years even though the labour market has changed enormously," she said. "Income-security programs are out of sync with the needs of people who are working in our modern economy." Coalition to unveil recommendations on social safety net


The report itself is interesting since those on the panel came from the left and right.

In addition to the Conference Board of Canada, the Caledon Institute and the C.D. Howe Institute, the members include top business leaders (Falconbridge chairman David Kerr and Nestle Purina Canada president Karen Kuwahara), labour leaders (Canadian Labour Congress president Ken Georgetti), bank economists Don Drummond (TD Bank) and Warren Jestin (Bank of Nova Scotia), social agencies, academics, foundations and a group of low-income individuals.Coalition to unveil recommendations on social safety net


And while calling for reforms they do not go far enough. Women in Canada not working need wages for housework , and all working class Canadians employed or not need a base social wage for those who earn less than $60,000 a year. As for tax breaks there should be NO income taxes on working class Canadians earning $100,000 or less.

Task force calls for social reforms

Income security programs are failing Canadians and need a federal overhaul that could cost $8.5 billion each year, says an exhaustive report by a task force of Toronto community members and civic leaders. The task force recommends the federal government reform employment insurance, create a new refundable tax benefit for all low-income working-age adults and provide a national disability income support program for those unable to enter the workforce.




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