MAIN POINTS
( from interviews)

1. Stability for families

2. More contact between generations

3. Less stress in the family; happier parents means happier kids

4. Fathers spending more time with their kids; more househusbands

5. More ability to do essential care work for self and family

6. Less stress from overwork

7. Many fewer child apprehensions

8. Fewer children witnessing violence

9. Fewer caregiving problems from not having enough money

10. More ability to care for our elders

11. Less institutionalized care

12. Positive long-term effects over many generations

13. Time to spend on creating a nicer home

14. Less family conflict

15. More ability for adult children living at home due to
economics to move out

16. More ability to provide compassionate care for
terminally ill family members

17. More time just to be with our loved ones

18. More time for parents and children to be together

19. No more genocide* of families from poverty

20. Happier families means happier neighborhoods

*Note: the term "genocide" was purposefully used by a Metis elder during an interview

FAMILY - Quotes

Hopefully, it will take pressure off families and more men will be involved with their families, helping in their kids' schools and stuff like that. Kids would have both parents more involved, more balanced parents who aren't desperate. There is a rise in family violence and mental illness when there is economic pressure. Having free time, maybe if both parents work part-time, maybe there would be more time shared between generations and time for dropping in on elderly neighbors. Seniors are quite isolated. -Claire

I think it would get more men doing the househusband work. Fathers tend to put a lot of value on their work as it translates into income. If we had a GLI, there would be a lot more dads staying home and the livable income would have that much greater impact. -Suzanne

It would be a huge benefit to everything if you could stay at home and raise your kids. The dilemma that single parents always face [is that], we have to go out in the workforce and leave a daycare to raise our children. -Sasha

  [Benefits of GLI would be] caring for, or just being with, our loved ones. I have family in Montreal; they are the very core and roots of my treasured history that I want to learn more about, but I will never get to be with them in the way I want to be. -Naomi

TV gives one-sided opinions. Violent games and TV have an impact on violence because there is no mom to teach them what is good and what is bad. -Anna

A GLI in a household would help release the pressure and stress of financial basic need. That does open the door so men could have more time with their children. -Faith

A GLI would have nothing but a positive impact on multiple generations. -Rose

There would be fewer child apprehensions. -Ruth

GLI would allow men and women to heal. There would not be so much pressure on the man: "You are responsible for your family, so when it breaks, it's your fault." The emotional toll on men is huge. Patriarchy is lying to men that they will have this and that. Then they end up with zero self-esteem, then abuse. -Kym

Getting seniors getting more involved with youth would be a good thing. I think that is how it used to be. If youth and seniors could get together and hear the stories of how things were, that would help youth to appreciate what they've got now. I think that would be very beneficial. -Dawn

GLI would mean corporations wouldn't have so much power over families. -Kym

We have a rhythm in life, so this system with GLI would accommodate life's transitions: being a mother, looking after aging parents, or looking after a disabled sibling. This will make this proposal viable. We can't have a homogenized society; we can't all be Albertans! -Elizabeth