Re-write of Basic Income Australia Policy and Overview

After much tooing and froing amongst members, several economists, and financial journalist Alan Kohler, we’ve re-done our policy to better explain why we should see a UBI as a ‘necessary right’ (in a society where money is needed to survive).

By splitting the UBI into two parts: a) an Unconditional Payment to all adults, and b) a UBI tax (based on other earnings), we can target the net benefit to those who need it, when they need it, without the need to apply, or justify entitlement, with minimal administration cost.

Our policy explains how we can fund it without increasing taxes or debt, or creating undue inflation.

Core Credo for a UBI in Australia

As there are many different forms of a UBI proposed by different groups, these differences often lead to internal disputes within the movement. This dissension makes it impossible to advance any specific proposal across the whole community. It also makes it easier for detractors to point to the differences in each proposal, and to then attack specific aspects of any proposal that are not core to a UBI.

We’ve been working with representative from Fusion Party (and others to develop a Core consensus that all Signatories can agree to support.

The hope is that signatories will agree to campaign for this Core UBI to be adopted to start, with the aim of cementing it via a referendum as a Constitutional right.

All Signatories will be free to highlight how and why their policy differs from the Core, and to advocate for their own policy proposals on top of the Core.

We list the areas where and why our policy differs from the core at the end of our policy.

Book Club

Join us for our next Online Book Club, where we’ll be discussing "Universal Basic Income" from the MIT Press Essential Knowledge Series by Karl Widerquist. This concise and accessible book explores the key principles behind UBI, its historical context, and its potential to transform economies and societies. Widerquist, a political philosopher and economist, has been a prominent advocate for UBI for decades, challenging traditional ideas about work, poverty, and economic freedom.

Deep Discussion Series

With the Australian Federal Election on the horizon, what’s at stake for Universal Basic Income (UBI) and economic justice? How do different parties position themselves on welfare, social security, and economic policy? Join us for a Deep Discussion where we'll analyze key election issues, party platforms, and the broader implications for UBI. This will be an open and interactive conversation, featuring insights from the BIA community.

ABI Lab

On 6 December, 2024 ABI Lab held its largest roundtable turnout with ~50+ attendees.

It was great to see more community / nonprofit attendance (previously it’s been more academic focused). The Ramsay Foundation (one of Australia’s largest philanthropic institutions) were in attendance - they are investigating how to start a UBI trial (potentially through the emergency funding loophole).

During the meeting, the audience’s preferred approach to a trial was polled: 28 participants responded: 39% voted for universalism via saturation site, 21% voted for universalism in a mid-sized city, 14% voted for a basic income for mothers, 11% voted for care leavers, 7% voted for the formerly incarcerated, 7% voted for direct giving through tech and no one voted for artists.

WA Meetup

New member Nobu and John in WA have started a meetup in Hyde Park Perth to engage with people about a UBI. If you live in WA, reach out to them on Discord, or via Meetup

Social Media

Nobu has also been firing posts on X and gathering new followers. Great effort. Thank you, Nobu

Discord

New Channels for each State have now been set up. WA is firing with John and Nobu now active in the State. If you are organizing something for your State, or just have some local news relevant to UBI simply post it in your State channel.

New Director

Jessica Chew was officially appointed a Director of Basic Income Australia at the members meeting on 19 January, 2025. Congratulations, Jessica Chew! You’ve been a star not only running our Action meetings, but in getting the Comedy for a Cause even in Sydney lined up… massive effort, including gaining local business support for raffle prizes, and preparation of promotional material, including a timeline covering the development of the UBI concept. What an effort. We really value insights too as a Data Analyst, tracking what’s happening with UBI around the world.

Upcoming Events:

Event	Date & Time	Location	Zoom Link
Action Group Meeting	Saturday, 8 February 2025, 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM AEDT	Zoom	https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82527159640
Book Club: Universal Basic Income by Karl Widerquist	Thursday, 20 February 2025, 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM AEDT	Zoom	https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82527159640
Perth Meetup	Saturday, 22 February 2025, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM AWST	Meeting Place Kiosk, Hyde Park, Perth	N/A
Operations Meeting	Sunday, 23 February 2025, 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM AEDT	Zoom	https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82527159640
Deep Discussion: The Australian Federal Election	Thursday, 13 March 2025, 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM AEDT	Zoom	https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82527159640
Action Group Meeting	Saturday, 8 March 2025, 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM AEDT	Zoom	https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82527159640
Perth Meetup	Saturday, 22 March 2025, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM AWST	Meeting Place Kiosk, Hyde Park, Perth	N/A

Be selective about which meetings you're a regular participant of