Let's Bring Back the “Fair Go”! Let's Try a Universal Basic Income!

Australians have always believed in a “fair go”. It is a part of our culture. We've lost sight of this over the past few years with the growing gap between rich and poor, the old and the young, even city dwellers and those who live in the bush.

Perhaps Now is the time for us to think about the dignity of a Universal Basic Income, an unconditional payment given to every citizen to cover essential living costs. With the predicted loss of 40% of jobs in the next ten years (due to technological change), unemployment figures will skyrocket! Our Government will no longer be able to demonize those on welfare as the “leaners”and the“tax-nots”! This number of people cannot be consigned to poverty on Newstart, our unemployment benefit which has not been increased in real terms since 1994.

Universal Basic Income, about to be trialed in Canada, Finland and The Netherlands, would provide the opportunity to work, study, start a small business or be involved in the Arts. This would mean an increased standard of living beyond basic needs. A popular idea in the sixties, it was tried in the US, India, Brazil and Canada with promising results. Workplace participation actually increased, since workers could afford work costs like transport and childcare. Health and education outcomes improved; there was less domestic violence with women having financial independence.

Then, the stumbling block was the fear of inflation. However today many countries around the world are suffering from deflation. With so much money in the hands of the rich, economies are struggling. We all know it is the poor who spend! Our former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd knew this when he gave modest amounts of money to those on low incomes at the time of the GFC. This helped Australia to emerge economically triumphant! Imagine how a Universal Basic Income would boost our economy now!

Imagine,also, the social equity of a system where “the wealth of the country looks after all” (to quote another former Prime Minister, the great Gough Whitlam). Of course, multi-national companies would hate this idea since they want us ordinary people to be fighting each other over the mean bones of what little work will be left to us in the future!

It would of course be very expensive. However, it could be paid for by eliminating almost all need for Social Security. Tax allowances and deductions would go (compensated for by the Universal Basic Income.) A fairer society may well mean less need for police, jails, health services or the current myriad of “bandaid' social programs needed to cope with the lack of a “fair go”for all!

Lucinda Sharpe