Thread by @TroyCHenderson

1. The Australian Greens deserve real credit for putting forward a bold and pragmatic anti-poverty policy like the #LiveableIncomeGuarantee #BasicIncome #UBI #AusPol2022 aap.com.au/news/greens-un…

2. @JohnQuiggin writes: 'The policy would increase all income support payments – for those looking for work, studying full-time or unable to work because of age, disability or caring responsibilities' #BasicIncome #UBI theconversation.com/the-greens-liv…

3. The payment satisfies several of the criteria people often associate with #BasicIncome. 1. Adequacy - the base payment is pegged to the Henderson Poverty Line. 2. Efficiency - 10 welfare payments are consolidated around one base rate. melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/publications/p…

4. In other ways the #LiveableIncomeGuarantee is more a Guaranteed Minimum Income than a #UBI It is not purely "individual" and it doesn't automatically pay everyone the same amount of $$$. But these factors reduce both the fiscal cost and fiscal churn associated with the policy

5. Affordability. The policy is costed by the Parliamentary Budget Office and (while I would like to see the detailed modelling) it looks like annual additional fiscal cost of about $45bn. #BasicIncome #LiveableIncomeGuarantee

6. Affordability continued. If that figure is correct, we're talking around 2 percentage points of GDP. That increase would not even bring Australia's tax-to-GDP ratio close to the OECD average.

7. Providing Australians with an adequate, universal and unconditional income floor (not #UBI) is clearly affordable for one of the lowest taxing countries in the OECD. #BasicIncome

8. We have an opportunity to end the toxic divide between the 'deserving' and 'underserving poor' in Australia which has the 2nd lowest unemployment benefit in the OECD theconversation.com/the-50-boost-t…

9. Not everyone has to agree with the @Greens #LiveableIncomeGuarantee model in its particulars but it should occupy a central place in a national conversation about making income poverty and insecurity history in this country.

10. There are plenty are disadvantaged people. Battlers. People in poverty. And those in insecure jobs in @AustralianLabor, @The_Nationals and independents' electorates. Be great to hear more contributions to this debate. #BasicIncome

11. Would be great to see @JacquiLambie get a guaranteed minimum income for battlers in Burnie alongside more high quality and better paid jobs.

12. #COVID19 let the cat out of the bag as far as what is "affordable" in a rich country like Australia. We can have public dental care. If we want it. We can have public childcare. If we choose to. We can abolish poverty. If we have the will to do it. #BasicIncome #AusPol2022

13. For a few months we had a 'natural experiment' with #BasicIncome in Australia when unemployment assistance was doubled and mutual obligation. A Coalition govt did this. It was good. abc.net.au/news/2021-12-0…

14. Mutual obligation. Workfare. Work for the dole. What ever you want to call it, it's been a total failure. We need to stop treating our fellow Aussies like shit. #BasicIncome theconversation.com/new-finding-jo…

15. People are having this conversation about ending poverty, reducing inequality and enhancing freedom all around the world. From Ireland and Wales, to Uganda, South Africa, South Korea, the US and Canada. #BasicIncome #UBI

16. When you hear Aussie pollies of whatever stripe say we need "balance the budget", "move to fiscal consolidation phase", etc, after they've just spent a lazy few hundred billion during COVID, we can collectively call bullshit. We can afford a better society. It's our choice

17. Civil society organisations like @anglicare_aust have also made big contribution to this conversation in Australia by calling for a "permanent" #BasicIncome anglicare.asn.au/2021/08/10/lan…

18. The Antipoverty Centre @antipovertycent , the United Workers Union @UnitedWorkersOz and many others have made important contributions to this debate. #BasicIncome #AusPol2022

19. Before I finish the little rant, the world Basic Income Earth Network Congress is in Brissie this year in September. If you're interested in this stuff, why not come up and join us? bien2022.com

20. Finally, the Australian Basic Income Lab is a new research collaboration between the Uni of Sydney, ANU and Macquarie Uni @AusBasicIncome Check it out ausbasicincome.org Disclaimer: Views expressed in this thread are my own.