There's been a lot of talk over the last couple of years about the Canadian Government providing what's called a "guaranteed income" to low income Canadians.

The idea has sparked furious debate among economists and lawmakers over whether or not is sustainable, with costs ranging from $40 to $70 billion a year.

High River Chamber of Commerce President Steven Muth, says it's a patently bad idea.

"No. That is for all intents and purposes, socialism 101. There are some impacts for seniors in there through the guaranteed income supplement program. Those have been there for decades. Are they perfect? No. Do they work very well? Not really."

Muth says any such program is doomed to failure.

"Any government official that says we're going to guarantee every man, woman and child and certain level of income, that is an incredibly slippery slope. And is fraught with peril and will never, ever work. Because there are many, many mathematical formulas that prove it does not work."

Ontario brought in a form of guaranteed income under the Liberal government of Kathleen Wynn, but it was quickly killed off when the Doug Ford and the PC's took power there late last year.

 

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