I want to compare that approach of the guaranteed livable basic income with the idea of broad-based tax relief.
New Democrats proposed the doubling of the GST rebate, because that was something we thought we could get this government to agree to, which was an important component of any proposal we would make. However, we recognize, first of all, that it's temporary. It's ultimately inadequate. It's not a permanent fix by any means.
When we compare that with a proposal for broad-based tax relief, our challenge is that it means.... If you raise the basic exemption or you cut taxes at a lower bracket or you cut the sales tax, that will mean that the highest income earners actually realize the most benefit.
When we're talking about the need to invest in health care, when we're talking about proposals for a guaranteed livable basic income as opposed to broad-based tax relief.... When you do the broad-based tax relief, what you actually end up doing is delivering more money into the hands of the people who are able to do discretionary spending, which raises demand in the economy and drives inflation, and you don't deliver the same amount of help to people at the lower income spectrum.
I wonder if your organizations have done some thinking about comparing the approach of a guaranteed livable basic income, as one example, with the model of providing general tax cuts, which tend to disproportionately benefit the wealthy.