In this episode David Kelly and ACFP’s Founder Bronwyn Kelly talk in depth about how Australians could collaborate to design a universal basic income (UBI) for everyone and how at the same time they can use the process to secure fair tax reforms and reliable funding for all their essential services.
What is a universal basic income?
Read ACFP’s question and answer paper about UBI. It poses 21 questions about a UBI to help Australians understand what it is, what its benefits are and how we could afford to pay everyone a universal basic income and still balance the nation’s finances without loss of essential services. In a collaboration about a UBI we can organise our public funds so that we can pay for everything we need in health care, education, childcare, aged care and disability care and still be better off in take-home pay. A UBI is essential to our wellbeing.
Find out how we can organise all this in ACFP’s question and answer paper on the strategy in Australia Together for a universal basic income.
The benefits of a UBI for all
The benefits of a UBI are not confined merely to securing an income for all Australians that will be sufficient to eliminate poverty. Collaboration on the design of a UBI also offers everyone the chance to fairly secure all the funding we need for essential services in health, education, housing, childcare, aged care, disability, and even conservation.
But these benefits are only likely to arise if Australians first develop fair principles for decision making. We can do this if we collaborate to develop a National Accord on Wealth, Welfare and Wellbeing - an agreement with those we elect on the principles for decisions on how national wealth may be raised and spent.
Read ACFP’s fact sheet about the proposal in Australia Together for a National Accord on Wealth, Welfare and Wellbeing.
Listen to the Australia Together Podcast episode about a National Accord on Wealth, Welfare and Wellbeing.
Where are the strategies in Australia Together for a universal basic income?
In Issue No. 8 of Australia Together the current strategies related to a universal basic income are proposed under map reference numbers:
Econ04.02.04 - National Accord on Wealth, Welfare and Wellbeing - Community engagement on introduction of a universal basic income.
Econ02.04 - National plan for full employment supported by a universal basic income.
Soc13.01 - Pilot scheme for a universal basic income – UBI for artists.
Several other strategies in Australia Together are closely linked with those for a UBI, including:
Soc08.02 - Women’s National Integrated Reform Program for Safety, Respect and Equity.
Soc09.01.01 - Homelessness – Ending homelessness by tackling systemic drivers.
Soc11.01 - Universal access to free Early Childhood Education and Care.
Env11.02 - Introduction of a Stewards of the Earth Fund and Program for rewilding farming and forestry systems to lock up carbon, conserve water, and restore biodiversity.
Econ02.04.01 - Increasing government sector participation in the economy by a program of expansion of public sector employment in health, aged care, disability services, employment and welfare services, education, housing, conservation and land care, renewable energy, buildings efficiency and transport.
Econ04.03.01 - Transformation of Australia’s taxation system consistent with transition to universal income security and universal services security under a National Accord on Wealth, Welfare and Wellbeing.
Econ04.07 - Electronic financial transactions tax.
Soc04.07.01 - Security of funding for health – Abolition of subsidies for private health insurance and reinstatement of universal health care in public and private hospitals funded by a single public fund based on a fair Medicare levy.
Soc05.01 - Re-introduction of fee-free tertiary education.
Want to know more about Australia Together?
Australia Together is the nation’s first community designed and driven long term, integrated plan for a better future. It’s designed to help Australians make the best future we can imagine in the 2020s a reality by 2050 or sooner.
Browse the latest Issue of Australia Together - Issue No. 8 - here.
Want to become involved in Australia Together?
Become involved in the process of building Australia Together, the nation’s first long term, integrated plan for a better future.
Comment and provide suggestions about Australia Together here and here.
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