Commentary,  COVID,  Income Security,  Macroeconomics

Interview with Evan Solomon about Fiscal Policy, Income Supports, and Other Responses to the Pandemic

July 9, 2020 /

Centre for Future Work Director Jim Stanford recently appeared on Evan Solomon’s national radio program, Overview, to discuss the continuing evolution of the COVID-19 recession, and its implications for all areas of government policy.

Evan and Jim discussed Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s fiscal ‘snapshot,’ the significance (or not) of the federal government’s large deficit, and the feasibility of various proposals for a basic income to help Canadians through the crisis (and to deal with the economic insecurity they already faced, even before the pandemic).

Jim proposed far-reaching reforms to Canada’s deeply flawed Employment Insurance system, including a ‘hybrid’ approach that would combine improved access, a basic income threshold (similar to currently provided by the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, or CERB), and scaled benefits for displaced workers who earned much more than the CERB.

Hear Jim’s full discussion with Evan Solomon here: Evan Solomon Show: Should Canada have a basic income?

Jim Stanford is Economist and Director of the Centre for Future Work. He divides his time between Sydney, Australia and Vancouver, Canada. Jim is one of Canada’s best-known economic commentators. He served for over 20 years as Economist and Director of Policy with Unifor, Canada’s largest private-sector trade union.