Yes, indeed, and the first quick point that we can do is to understand how the problem occurs and look at the five-mechanism model for poverty: theft, rent, interest, profit, and unequal pay for work. And then recognize that Canadians, people worldwide, need an as-of-right base income.
This committee could well re-examine its involvement in the Mincome initiative in Manitoba in the 1970s.
I was at the Gow lecture that Hugh Segal gave on Friday evening. You will know that he is a passionate supporter of--in his terminology--a negative income tax or a guaranteed annual income. For me, it's assistance income. The reason I say this is that I am now a Canadian citizen, as of February, so I have two nationalities, two citizenships. And if we want Canadians to be active citizens in their own jurisdiction, we need to give them the resources. And a citizen's income would be the way to do that. So within 12 months I hope this committee will constitute a panel and hear on that.
I also have in front of me a petition that has been signed by 300 people online, and this combines the notion that we should refresh all of the income supplement programs for working-age adults--EI and so on--as well as introducing this citizen's income or guaranteed annual income idea.