Appointed: A Canadian Senator Bringing Margins to the Centre

On this episode of Appointed , Kim is joined by the Honourable Iain Rankin, Member of the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia and former Premier of Nova Scotia, for a timely conversation on poverty, dignity, and the push for a guaranteed livable basic income (GLBI) in Canada. Drawing on over a decade of experience in provincial politics, MLA Rankin shares insights into the unique economic challenges...

On this episode of Appointed , Kim speaks with Senator Pat Duncan , Canadian Senator and former premier of Yukon . Kim and Senator Duncan are longtime friends and have an amazing conversation about the work being done to ensure Canadians can “rebound” out of poverty.  Senator Duncan draws on her more than 10 years of experience serving in the Yukon Legislative Assembly and working in the Yukon com...

On this episode of Appointed , Kim speaks with Dr. Jiaying Zhao , Associate Professor, Canada Research Chair in Behavioral Sustainability and Sauder Distinguished Scholar at the University of British Columbia . Dr. Zhao speaks about her incredible research into how resource scarcity impacts human cognition and behaviour.   Kim and Dr. Zhao discuss Dr. Zhao’s 2023 study which found that one-time, u...

On this episode of Appointed , Kim speaks with Dan Huang-Taylor, executive director of Food Banks BC , a provincial association working to end hunger in British Colombia. Kim and Dan discuss the intersection of poverty and food security, and Dan’s extensive experience working in the non-profit sector. Dan speaks about his involvement with the Put Food Banks Out of Business initiative, which advoca...

On this episode of Appointed , Kim speaks with activist and artist Jessie Golem about her portrait series, Humans of Basic Income , and her work on guaranteed livable basic income. Humans of Basic Income tells the stories of people who took part in Ontario’s basic income pilot project, and what happened when the pilot was cancelled prematurely. Ms Golem speaks about the impact that the Humans of B...

On this episode of Appointed, Kim speaks with economist Benoit Robidoux about the 2023 guaranteed basic income (GBI) proposal for residents in Prince Edward Island. Mr. Robidoux was a key member of the team behind the proposal; a team made up of economists, public servants, politicians and advocates from across Canada. Mr. Robidoux discusses how the GBI program would provide a benefit of $19,000 f...

On this episode of Appointed , Kim speaks with the Honourable Dr. Wanda Thomas Bernard. Senator Bernard has decades of leadership and innovation as a social worker, educator, researcher, community activist and advocate for social change. Senator Bernard and Kim discuss how a GLBI might support Black Canadians and African Nova Scotians, the intersection of poverty, stigma, and racism, and the vital...

On this episode of Appointed , Kim speaks with her friend and colleague, Senator Bernadette Clement, about the intersection of poverty and racism in Canada. Senator Clement speaks from her experience in the Senate, municipal politics, and her career as a legal aid lawyer. Senator Clement still works as a practicing lawyer as well as being a Senator! Listen to their conversation, and how a guarante...

On this episode of Appointed , Kim speaks with criminal defence lawyer Theresa Donkor about guaranteed livable basic income, the mass incarceration of Black, Indigenous and BIPOC Canadians, and Ms Donkor's analysis of how poverty and systemic racism contribute to the over-criminalization and imprisonment of her clients.  Theresa Donkor is a criminal defence lawyer and the Advocacy Director for the...

 On this episode of Appointed, Kim speaks with the Honourable Harry Laforme about the importance of ensuring independence, authority and resources in order to ensure the new commission can effectively consider wrongful convictions. Informed by the report he and the Honourable Juanita Westmoreland-Traoré authored, as well as the one they inspired about 12 Indigenous women, they discuss the findings...

On this episode of Appointed , Senator Pate speaks with The Honourable Marion Buller, Chancellor of the University of Victoria and former Chief Commissioner of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls , and the first Indigenous woman appointed as a judge in British Columbia. The two discuss the connections between poverty, violence against Indigenous women and girl...

On this episode of Appointed, Senator Kim Pate speaks with Ottawa City Councillors, Theresa Kavanagh and Marty Carr. This fabulous duo successfully presented a motion on July 10, 2024, supporting a Guaranteed Livable Basic Income. They were inspired by the Ottawa Board of Health June 17, 2024 resolution supporting a Basic Income Guarantee for all people over the age of 17 as a means of addressing...

BICYN’s most recent op-ed in The Hill Times (not mentioned in the podcast - but super relevant to the podcast!) is about the Canada Disability Benefit and why we still need a guaranteed basic income. It was written by BICYN directors Alexandra Zannis and Ellen Spannagel. ( https://www.hilltimes.com/story/2023/... )  Kendal's academic work: https://carleton.ca/socialwork/people...   https://invisib...

For more information:  President Cassidy Caron: https://www.metisnation.ca/presidents...   Métis National Council: https://www.metisnation.ca/   The various Accords and Sub-Accords between the MNC & Canada: https://www.metisnation.ca/about/reso...   The Métis Nation of Ontario Housing Census: https://www.metisnation.org/news/the-...   Bill C-53: Recognition of Certain Métis Governments in Alberta,...

Podcast Links: Click here to access Income Supports and Indigenous Peoples In B.C. - An Analysis of Gaps and Barriers   Click here to check out Covering All the Basics: Reforms for a More Just Society   Click here to read Together BC - British Columbia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy   Click  here to access resources available via Basic Income Coalition Canada and UBI Works here   Click here to read...

Resources Click  here  to check out Kim’s Senate Webpage Click  here  to access publications of Professor Debra Parkes Click  here  to access research by Dr. Jane Sprott Click  here  to read research by Professor Isabel Grant Click  here  to learn more about Bryan Stevenson’s work. Click  here  to get the reports,  Injustices and Miscarriages of Justice Experienced by 12 Indigenous Women  and  Sen...

Reports and Papers Click here to access Injustices and Miscarriages of Justice Experienced by 12 Indigenous Women.  Click here to read Carly Peddle, Emma Ronsley & Debra Parkes, Toward Abolishing the Mandatory Life Sentence and Parole Ineligibility Periods for Murder : Discussion Document. Click here to check out Sarah Chaster’s paper, Cruel, Unusual, and Constitutionally Infirm: Mandatory Minimum...

Click here for more information about Professor Bednar and her public policy research. Click here to access the Perspectives document on Guaranteed Livable Income by Team Pate. Click here to check out Professor Bednar on the Cross Country Checkup Podcast Other resources referred to in the episode: Click here to access Professor Bednar’s paper on competition policy in Canada, mentioned at 2:45 . Cl...

Click  here to access to Bill C-5. Click  here to read more on Bill C-22 Click  here to check out Dr. Sheehy’s book Defending Battered Women on Trial. Click  here to read Justice Arbour’s Inquiry into certain events at the Prison for Women in Kingston also known as the Arbour Report Click  here to read R v Luxton Click  here to read more about R v Naslund Click  here to access the Injustices and M...

Click here to access more information about MPP Wynne's political career. For more information on Guaranteed Livable Income: Click here to access the Perspectives document on Guaranteed Livable Income by Team Pate. Click here for Bill C-223 and here for Bill S-233 on guaranteed livable basic income. Click here for a new year's statement and update from national guaranteed livable basic income grou...

Resources and cases mentioned during the episode: Click here to access the US Federal Study Senator Deacon discussed at the 8:44 minute mark.  Click here to access the report from the Advisory Committee on Open Banking discussed at the 15:10 minute mark. Click here to access more information on the Dauphin Manitoba Experience discussed at  the 17:53 minute mark. Click here to access Senator Deacon...

More information about this episode's guest, Sheila Regehr (as seen here , on Basic Income Canada Network): Sheila is a founding member of the Basic Income Canada Network and former Executive Director of the National Council of Welfare. Her 29 years of federal public service spanned front-line work, policy analysis and development, international relations and senior management, with a focus on imp...

Click here to access Professor Martha Jackman's biography on the University of Ottawa website. Click here to access Professor Martha Jackman's CV as of 2020. For more information on the social and economic rights, visit the following selected works by Professor Martha Jackman: Martha Jackman, " What's Wrong With Social and Economic Rights? " (2000) 11 National Journal of Constitutional Law 235-246...

Learn more about Professor Sylvia Rich here . Additional readings & ressources Click here to access the private bill Senator Pate introduced relating to Mandatory Minimum Penalties (S-207). Click here to access the fact sheet on Mandatory Minimums introduced by Senator Pate. Sylvia Rich (2016). Corporate Criminals and Punishment Theory. Canadian Journal of Law &Jurisprudence, 29, pp 97-118 doi:10....

  Additional reading & resources:   Dr. Forget’s book: “Basic Income for Canadians: The key to a healthier, happier, more secure life for all Click here to access the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s “Costing a Guaranteed Basic Income During the COVID Pandemic” report. Click here to access the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s “Costing a National Guaranteed Basic Income Using the Ontario Basic Income M...