BIG Community Forum – Souris

Participants:

Animators:

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1.    Goal and Objectives of the Forum

Forum Goal

• to strengthen our plan for a BIG pilot project and to explore ways in which people can become involved.

Forum Objectives

• to present information about BIG
• to hear from people what they think of the idea of BIG & what kind of benefit they think it may have to their communities
• to identify concerns/fears would be around BIGto gather ideas about how
• to promote the idea/increase understanding/engage people in their communities

2.    Presentation of Information on Basic Income Guarantee

The organizers presented a power point as an introduction to BIG and a video revealing some of the painful aspect of poverty in PEI. The review of Basic Income Guarantee included the following:

• the level of poverty in PEI–what it looks like
• the cost of poverty in PEI
• that BIG PEIwould ensure that each and every Prince Edward Islander would receive enough income to meet basic needs
• that BIG has been in operation in many parts of the world, including for five years in Manitoba
• that Basic Income Guarantee worksthat BIG is the best way to invest in people in PEI
• the cost of BIG is not great considering the how much it costs the system when people do not have basic needs met
• that BIG can be a administered through the tax system
• that a BIG PEI pilot program is necessary to get it started

3.    Group Discussions

Participants in small groups identified the following : how BIG would benefit the community; their own questions about BIG; and how to build support in the community for BIG. The following is a summary of their discussion:

3.1  How could BIG benefit the community?

• Social justice!
• Health would improve greatly – mental, physical, spiritual
• People would be more likely to stay in the community
• Jobs will be created
• Kids would do better in school – fewer drop-outs and more post-secondary options feasible
• Decreased costs to the health care system
• Lower justice costs
• Save money on hospital and prison costs
• Improve health outcomes
• Improve dignity and self-esteem for Islanders
• Improve housing quality
• Enable people to “give” again – participate in the life of their community
• People can be included again in society!
• Improve education
  • Lessen stress
• Decrease crime rates
• Less division between classes (economic)
• Stimulate the economy – locally, nationally, and internationally
• Lessen political interference (eg. MLA’s being called on to find jobs for constituents)
• More equity
• More independence and freedom
• Enable families to stay together and live on PEI – not head out west for work – families reunite after long separations
• Shares general wealth
• Energy and resources put into food banks and other charities could be focused elsewhere
• It gives people choices
• Better overall health – physical, mental spiritual;
• More control – if you have choices, you feel in control of your own life
• A livable incomes gives people hope
• People would be able to save for their retirement
• Benefits for future children, grandchildren.

3.2  How do we build support for BIG in the community?

• Compare lobster fishers pre-EI to now – tell the general public about the improvement to income that have occurred due to EI support
• Make the business case for BIG
• Earn the support of the more wealthy people in the public service and other sectors, get them onside with BIG
• Get the endorsement of a powerful group like the Charlottetown Chamber of Commerce
• Show what is happening right now on PEI is not sustainable
• Have more public conversations like this
• Make BIG a political issue – for the 65% who earn below $30,000 /yr. and for everyone, regardless of personal income situation
• Speak to the Deputy Minister’s Group that has been tasked with looking into BIG
• Approach neighbours, friends, family and talk about BIG (spread the word)Educate ourselves about the issue and benefits
• Talk to our politicians
  • Write letters to the editor (Guardian)
• Plan your work – work your plan
• Make connections between communities – PEI and elsewhere
• Make connections between groups – churches, labour, seniors, women’s groups, etc.Have well-laid out and clear explanations
• Tie BIG in with our income tax system – simple, bureaucracy already established
• Explain that more money to those in poverty results in increased dignity and spending within communities
• Make a strong connection to better health within communities with BIG
• Lobby to have BIG as an election issue
• Lobby local MLA’s for support
• Stick together – form a constituency
• Small groups of people CAN have a big (BIG) voice!Put information out to the people, to the public
• Get the message out that this (BIG) will work for everyone
• Bring pastoral energy in (churches) and make this a social justice issue
• Get leadership to join us in our fight.

3.3  Questions / concerns about BIG?

• How much will it cost?
• What is the business case? Can we demonstrate the “multiplier effect?” need to hit the $$ first
• How will a study population be selected? How many would qualify? Would it be based on income taxes? Is it really a good idea to offer BIG to only a small population on the Island, or to the whole population?
• Can we demonstrate that it worked in 4 jurisdictions worldwide?
• It could help stabilize the seasonal workforce, like lobster fishery, farming, forestry?
• Do we need a pilot project of participants? Perhaps better to consider the whole Island as a pilot for BIG?
• Need to ensure evaluation and sustainability
• Research what has worked elsewhere – how did they implement? What worked, what didn’t, and why?
• Could we be a national example, with all of PEI in an initial pilot? Less divisive of Island communities
• Can we increase PEI’s personal tax exemption level? Currently the lowest in Canada
• When would we implement BIG?
• How would payments be made? Monthly?
• What would be the age and eligibility requirements?
• How would the pilot be administered?
• Need to ensure the process is transparent and fair
• Need more information on details
• How will civil servants be handled?
• Is the PEI government even close to really considering it (BIG)?
• How will government hear from us?How do we keep this moving?
• How can we be the voice to have government hear us?

4.0       Evaluation

The following are the responses of the participants. (The number of time a comment is repeated is indicated with asterisks)

This evening, I liked… the input from people attending; all positive support for BIG; the power point presentation**; meeting new people; the passion of the people; new ideas I heard; interesting discussion; the group discussions of the three questions****; sharing our experiences and concerns; the people; the idea of BIG***; the hand-out; that you came to our community; the room; the three leaders; the feed-back from each group; the idea of BIG for everyone; very good open discussion of ideas; the openness of the discussions; well presented information; the format of the meeting; everything running on time; not letting anyone dominate the discussion; lots of understanding and enthusiasm; the open forum concept; a lot of the ideas discussed

This evening I learned… BIG has functioned in other countries****; active support form the wide community; more about BIG****; that people are hopeful; we need more answers to our questions about BIG; how to spell guarantee!! That BIG has been tried in Manitoba; som thoughts of what BIG would look like; I need more information; that I am not alone; if BIG comes to PEI, it will be through the efforts of the grassroots people; that the on-going isssue of poverty on PEI can finally begin to change (Some of us have lived this in our work life constantly and were the “lone voice” in the wilderness); I will keep up with your work and spread the word; something about how BIG could work; theirs is great diversity of opinion; it’s a difficult problem; the concept of BIG as a solution to poverty issues; great objectives; was reminded of how desperately pervasive poverty remains on a personal level.

I would like to know more about…information from other countries***; more about the tax system; the nuts and bolts of it*****; how to get it out there to political parties or the rich to get them behind BIG; how we get to keep our voices going; how BIG will be presented and followed up with government; who would qualify; how I can sell this program; the strategy for getting politicians on-side–most MPs & MLAs know nothing about the reality of poverty; the business case (# of people, $$ cost, $$ in benefits).

For another time…get support from more groups; be sure everyone talks in the small groups** (Michelle Jay did a great job of helping this to happen); go around the circle to make sure everyone gets a chance; present the possibility of all of PEI being a pilot (don’t want to divide the community)****; plan actions & strategies to get BIG implemented; discuss spreading the BIG idea; have more time on the three questions; have some plan for action, not just talk about it; actions speak louder than words; explain BIG right up-front at the start of the meeting–I had to wait 30 minutes before I had some understanding; get more people involved– strength comes in numbers; invite the local MP & MLA, not to confront, but to get them on- side **; have minutes of previous meetings.