2022 Election Education Update # 2
Dear Colleagues,
Thank you to everyone who has written or spoken with your local candidates to support a Basic Income. Please continue to ask MPP Candidates to take the Basic Income Now pledge. You can check which MPP candidates have pledged to support a Basic Income.

The concept of a universal basic income in Canada has earned more attention over the past couple of years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). According to a study by the Angus Reid Institute earlier this year, 59% of Canadians support proposals for universal basic income programs for people earning under $30,000.
- Elections Ontario is mailing out voter information cards between May 12th and 20th. If you don’t receive a card, you can add or update your information to the list by May23rd and still get a card. You can support people to register here.
- Ways to Vote. Cyndy Wheeler, Elections ON Public Relations Officer is available to support agencies to register people. Any questions can be directed to: cyndyswheeler@gmail.com
ELECTION DEBATES/AWARENESS
- Rogers TV/Politically Speaking are interviewing candidates and you can watch the series of interviews here.
- Owen Sound Chamber of Commerce All Candidates Debate (12 May 2022) can be viewed here: https://www.rogerstv.com/media?lid=237&rid=50&gid=619244
- Rogers TV/Health Links interview with the Poverty Task Force on May 13th focused on guaranteed income and living wage. It will air May 29th and can be viewed here.
- Tamarack Institute Mid-Ontario Rural Communities CoP: hosted a roundtable discussion focused on provincial election campaigns, advocacy efforts, and explored the following:
- Several communities are facing a very conservative voter base, including those who mistrust government
- Plain language education/awareness-raising of party platforms and implications for low-income voters is an essential tactic along with engaging low-income residents to vote; challenge: capacity to synthesize all platforms
- Centring people with lived/living experience – Bruce Grey’s Community Voices previously researched the platforms and brought candidates one-by-one to their table to discuss poverty-related issues with the group; Cornwall, SDG & Akwesasne’s LEAG will craft three of the all-candidate debate questions, co-hosted with the Chamber of Commerce
- Huron County P2P and Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force are focusing on income security as the best solution to poverty-related issues, such as housing and food. Poverty Task Force shared their Basic Income Postcards.
ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Here are just a few opportunities, please let us know of other opportunities!
Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound Riding
- All Candidates Debate, May 18, 6:30 p.m., Kinplex in Flesherton
- All Candidates Debate May 19, 7 to 9:30 p.m., Keady Community Centre
- 12-17 May 2022 – virtual All Candidate Debates hosted by justrecoverysimcoe.ca/elementor-1455
Information Session for potential municipal election candidates
- Bruce County Municipal Election Hybrid Information Session: Bruce County Municipalities at a free information session virtually provided by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Find out everything you need to know about running for municipal office. Thursday, June 23, 2022 – 7-9pm,in-person and virtual meeting.
- The municipal role in housing: The four papers in this series, produced by the Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance and the Urban Policy Lab, look at affordable housing, rental housing, social housing, and homelessness. They identify the ideal role of municipalities in housing policy, where municipalities currently face constraints, how other orders of government can support municipalities, and where intergovernmental cooperation is needed. Read the papers
ELECTION RESOURCES
- National Post: Provincial election platforms 2022
- Ontario Public Health Association Election Priorities at-a-glance and full description
- Ontario Dietitians in Public Health frame solutions to food insecurity as income security measures
- Decent Work Now: election tracker on where the parties stand on workers rights
- https://cultmtl.com/2021/12/3-in-5-canadians-supports-universal-basic-income-canada-as-high-as-30k-year-quebec/
- Ontario Living Wage Network: you can find certified Living Wage Employers in Grey Bruce on this map.
Stay well, Jill