On July 14th, Halifax Regional Council voted to send a letter to the Prime Minister, federal ministers, and the Premier of Nova Scotia, calling once again for a guaranteed livable basic income. It’s not the first time Council has made this ask.  Former Mayor Mike Savage sent a similar letter of support in the past, and municipalities across Nova Scotia and Canada have been doing the same.

This time, the ask almost didn’t make it to the floor.

A point of order, first

The motion came from Councillor Morse, who had attended the Basic Income Nova Scotia conference in April. One panel there brought together councillors from other Nova Scotia municipalities to talk about their own experience writing letters of support or passing resolutions backing a Guaranteed Livable Basic Income (GLBI).

Before Council could even discuss Morse’s motion, Councillor Purdy raised a point of order, arguing the topic was outside the municipality’s jurisdiction. The Mayor agreed it was out of order,  which meant Council first had to vote just to hear the item at all, needing two-thirds support to move forward.

Councillors Cleary and Austin pushed back on using a point of order this way, pointing out that Council has written,  and will likely keep writing,  letters like this to other levels of government, and that blocking an agenda item on these grounds sets a precedent worth thinking carefully about.

Council voted 13–3 to hear the item.

The motion passes

With the procedural question settled, Councillor Morse’s motion passed 13–3:

Halifax Regional Council requested a letter from the Mayor to the Prime Minister, federal ministers, and the Premier of Nova Scotia, calling again on the federal government to implement a guaranteed livable basic income, ensuring everyone has enough income to meet their needs, and reducing poverty in HRM and municipalities across the country.

Why this matters

Basic income keeps showing up in municipal chambers because income adequacy sits underneath so much of what local governments are already dealing with:  food insecurity, housing precarity, strain on community services. Council can’t implement a basic income itself; what it can do is add its voice, alongside a growing list of Nova Scotia and Canadian municipalities that have passed similar resolutions.

Want to see who else has spoken up? Here’s the running list of municipalities that have voiced support for a Basic Income Guarantee.

Want to watch the discussion yourself? The full Council debate runs from 3:49:47 to 4:17:10 in the July 14th meeting video — worth the watch, especially the exchange about how Council handles letters of support going forward.