RE: Oppose Bill S-233/C-223
Updated: Nov 14, 2022
Date: March 15, 2022 at 4:04:14 PM PDT Subject: RE: Oppose Bill S-233/C-223

Hello,
As you know, federal legislation can start either in the House of Commons or the Senate, and Bill S-233 started in the Senate. As Bill S-233 works its way through the Senate, if it passes there, it may then come to Parliament, which is when myself and fellow parliamentarians would be reviewing it.
With that being said, I have concerns regarding the proposal and its economic consequences, and a similar piece of legislation (Bill C-273) was brought forth by a Liberal MP in the last Parliament which died with the call of the snap election last August. Proposals on a universal basic income do not take into account the highest level of national debt Canada has ever had. Just last year we saw the Liberals at their convention adopt motions in support of expensive and untested programs, including a universal basic income.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer has also released a report highlighting the extraordinary cost of universal basic income to Canadian taxpayers. In addition, on universal basic income, this would affect Canada’s job market at a time where businesses are already having difficulty hiring workers. Simply put, this program could discourage work in Canada. Though CERB/CRB helped people during the pandemic with perpetual lockdowns due to failures by the Liberals, we also saw these programs fraught with fraud and keeping people out of the workforce. I talk to small business owners every day who give me examples of how these have affected their business. Many people consider this a trial run for universal basic income.
Thank you again for writing, stay well, and reach out anytime.
In your service,
Tracy Gray
Member of Parliament (Kelowna-Lake Country)
Shadow Minister for Small Business Recovery and Growth
Suite 102, 1420 St. Paul Street, Kelowna, BC, VIY 2E6 Riding: 250-470-5075 | Ottawa: 613-992-7006
tracygraymp.ca