Care and Social Justice: Developing a Right to Basic Income in Canada
Abstract
Canada’s social safety net has failed to serve many marginalized people during COVID-19, leaving caregivers, low-income earners, those with disabilities, and others without an adequate floor of support. This level of insecurity has helped re-open the policy window for basic income in Canada. Two private members’ bills have been introduced federally that would require Canada to develop a national framework for basic income. Though basic income may seem radical, Canada has a history of making major changes to social welfare in the face of global crises. Rather than approaching basic income through a distributive justice lens, this thesis advances an argument for viewing basic income through a feminist care ethics and human rights-based lens. Obstacles and opportunities for advancing basic income through law are examined. An exploration of what a more caring, more democratic system of social welfare in Canada might look like is also presented.