The Order of Canada & a Basic Income

 

                                                                    Professor Evelyn Forget

As we come to the end of the year the names of recipients of the Order of Canada for 2021 have been published. Some of the 135 appointees are known to us -- the Honourable Murray Sinclair, former Senator and Chief Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, as an example. Most are individuals who have contributed to Canadian society in significant and even extraordinary ways but are certainly not household names. 

One is Evelyn Forget is a professor and health economist at the University of Manitoba and the author of the book Basic Income for Canadians. She researched the Mincome basic income experiment of the 1970's in Manitoba and discovered that hospital admissions declined and children were more likely to finish high school. This pilot occurred decades before Ontario's project which was summarily ended by the Ford government. 

The United Church of Canada has supported a Guaranteed Livable Income or GLI and this year a podcast was created by Rev. Cathy Russell and Rev. Isaac Mundy on the topic which includes an interview with Professor Forget. We found it really worthwhile, along with the interview with Rev. Ed Bentley.

https://gliclub.podbean.com/?fbclid=IwAR3wk-9orqgMnQOKXH0D3L_AUvuux5Rujp7KGfgZ41UkxyD_Ccl9G3chcl8

Christians ground their faith in the grace of Jesus Christ, the conviction that God's love is unconditional and lavish rather than earned. Often though, we are suspicious of those who don't "pull themselves up by their bootstraps" and "make something of themselves" -- sound familiar? We ignore the destructive influences of systemic poverty, of mental illness, and addiction and have a punitive mindset which is not worthy of the gospel. As long-time Progressive Conservative Hugh Segal has said, how do you pull yourself up by your bootstraps if you don't have boots? The pandemic has certainly shown us how vulnerable many of us are despite living in a wealthy nation. 

Congratulations to Evelyn Forget for this honour. Perhaps the greatest recognition would be for governments and communities of faith to pay attention to what she has to offer.