Is a Universal Basic Income What Australia Needs?

Imagine a society where the government pays for the basic cost of living for every adult citizen. That is what a proposed Universal Basic Income (UBI) would look like. The rich, the poor, the employed and the unemployed would receive the same weekly payment. Any current welfare programs would be partially or completely scraped if a UBI was to be implemented. Is this a transformative, financially liberating idea or a reverse Robin Hood policy? With the wealthy getting wealthier from the help of the government, will our neediest citizens be worse of with a UBI? Dr Gigi Foster, the Associate Professor with the School of Economics at the University of New South Wales, joined The Daily to discuss the idea of Universal Basic Income in Australia.

 

Produced by Siobhan Parry