Joint letter to minister of families, children & social development, requests federal government assume oversight of cancelled basic income pilot project.

Hamilton, ON - Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger along with Chris Friel, Mayor of Brantford, Andy Letham, Mayor of Kawartha Lakes, and Keith Hobbs, Mayor of Thunder Bay, issued today a joint letter to Minister Duclos expressing their concern with the sudden cancellation of the Basic Income Pilot Program and their united request to the Federal Government to assume oversight of the project.

“We’ve come together to share with Minister Duclos that there is broad-based support for the continuation of this important, evidence based program,” ... “We are appealing to the Federal Government to assume oversight of the Ontario Basic Income Pilot project in our communities for years two and three of the planned project. The Basic Income Pilot we believe will provide valuable data with the potential to inform future public policy and poverty reduction strategies nationally.”

Fred Eisenberger, Mayor of Hamilton

Ontario’s Basic Income Pilot is the first and largest basic income trial in North America. It has gained global attention for its potential to provide the evidence to eliminate income assistance systems that are often inefficient and stigmatizing.

Read the full letter to Minister Duclos (PDF, 141 KB)