The Executive Director of the Human Development Council says poverty in Canada is primarily a problem of wealth distribution.
Randy Hatfield says there’s more than enough wealth to go around in Canada, and the lack of political will to redistribute it is the main problem.
He says the growing inequality gap is corrosive in and of itself.
“I think there’s frustration with the current system, and out of that frustration there will be change and if there is change I hope it is progressive change along the lines of guaranteed annual income,” says Hatfield.
Hatfield says a guaranteed annual income would be a no strings attached, no qualifications necessary monthly pay check every Canadian would get from the government that would help take the place of what he called the “alphabet soup” of social assistance programs.
Hatfield says a guaranteed annual income is meant to provide an amount of money that would allow a person to live in dignity through their entire lifespan.
When it comes to the cost of such a program, Hatfield says a plan like the guaranteed annual income would give people sufficient incomes to live in safe and affordable housing, eat nutritionally, and manage chronic diseases.
“That in itself would save enormous amounts of money on a healthcare budget, on a justice system, within an education system,” says Hatfield. “So I think there are enormous savings that prevention can yield. I think the time is ripe for us to seize the moment and work on a grand scheme like this.”
Hatfield adds there is another option called the Living Wage, which is defined as an hourly wage that allows a family to pay for basic necessities as well as participate in the civic and social life of their community.
He says it’s an encouraging sign there’s more public discussion about more than just a minimum wage, and about how to ensure people have the right to live in safe and healthy circumstances.
