It's not a very difficult concept at all. The only thing, I think, in the world that is ever going to actually eliminate poverty is when you give people enough money so they're not poor.
There have been numerous experiments about this recently. In Canada we had the Manitoba income experiment. Four different cities in the United States had it for a while in the seventies. More recently, various third world countries have conducted experiments. There was a very successful one in Namibia. If they can do it, why can't Canada?
It isn't even going to cost much more than what is already being spent right now on social policies. People who say that it is going to be an astronomically expensive program are not being honest. It simply makes sense.
The trouble with it is that it would change the present social order. Employers are not going to have a compliant labour force under their thumb. People can simply walk out if they're being abused, without putting their lives in danger.
The only real issues about it are that you have to get cooperation from the provinces in terms of things like a proper housing program. Right now I would say we have a disastrous social housing program. I live in one of these miraculous places, and it is not a pleasant place to live. First of all, in the provinces we need legislation to control rents. We need adequate housing or proper housing that is run by the tenants. Otherwise there is not going to be much point to a guaranteed income. Landlords will take it all back.
There are other potential problems with it. Employers might want to try to use it as a wage top-up. This will work for them mostly if the citizens' guaranteed income is very low. It needs to be adequate so that people can simply get out of the labour market without serious consequences until they can participate on equal terms.
Am I out of time?