A weekly round-up of insight and analysis in the media from Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers, Armine Yalnizyan.

Armine breaks down the numbers on the value of investing in basic services versus a poverty-line basic income in the look ahead from COVID-19 emergency benefits in the Globe and Mail. (May 15 2020)

While deficit figures will likely remain high, Armine spoke with CBC’s The House on what steps the government should take to address fiscal pressures with working people in mind. (May 16 2020)

“The pandemic has really lifted the hood on what is essential about an economy, and part of what is essential is care…good quality care.” Armine emphasized on TVO’s The Agenda on a panel about the extent to which Canada is in a ‘she-cession’. (May 19 2020)

Alongside stringent health and safety rules that must be enforced, the right to refuse unsafe work must also be examined for migrant workers. “They’re not allowed access to care or any kind of income support when they are not working because they are sick.” Armine raised with Bloomberg. (May 21 2020)

Armine affirmed that there needs to be better co-ordination between federal and provincial governments when it comes to income support programs, and points out that “Social assistance is the only part of the income support architecture…that is in the provincial domain,” in the Toronto Star. (May 22 2020)

“This issue of child care is this generation’s medicare story, and we’ve got to get it done,” said Armine about the choices for economic recovery post-COVID-19 on CBC’s The Current, and Metro Morning. (May 22 2020)