Workshop Program: Designing a Basic Income Pilot for Australia – Ethics, Implementation & Evaluation Challenges

Location: Online (Zoom)
Date: Friday, December 6
Time: 9:00 AM - 1:15 PM

Overview:

Pilots, trials, and experiments have played a central role in establishing an evidence base for the potential benefits of basic income and similar concepts. While proponents of basic income often highlight the positive outcomes of these trials, critics question their effectiveness. The relationship between basic income and policy experimentation has been viewed as crucial for building public and political support for the reform, though some argue that it has been a distraction that has failed to deliver policy implementation.

In Australia, the debate around basic income pilots is still in its early stages compared to international efforts. Aside from a small-scale trial in the 1970s, there has never been a comprehensive basic income pilot, and very few detailed proposals have gained significant traction. The Third Annual Australian Basic Income Fellows Workshop seeks to move the conversation forward by focusing on the ethical, practical, and evaluation challenges involved in designing a basic income pilot for Australia.

Session 1: Keynote – Can a Basic Income Pilot Be Both Ethical and Useful?

Time: 09:00 AM - 09:45 AM
Speaker: Dr. Neil Howard (University of Bath)
Chair: Assoc. Prof. Elise Klein OAM (Australian National University & ABI Lab Co-Director)

Dr. Neil Howard is an anthropologist of development turned social protection scholar. His research investigates the governance of exploitative labour practices, as targeted for eradication by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He also explores innovative forms of labour and social protection, focusing on Unconditional Basic Income (UBI) combined with participatory community organizing. Dr. Howard co-leads international policy experiments on UBI in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Hyderabad, India.
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Session 2: Proposals for a Basic Income Pilot in Australia

Time: 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM
Speakers:

Prof. John Quiggin (University of Queensland) – "A Modest Experiment: Designing a Randomized Controlled Trial of Scrapping or Scaling Back Mutual Obligation and Income Management."
Jessica Chew (Basic Income Australia) – "Australian Basic Income Stories: The First Chapter of a Basic Income Pilot in Australia."

Session 3: Evaluating the Evidence from Basic Income Pilots

Time: 11:30 AM - 12:45 PM
Speakers:

Prof. Peter Whiteford (Australian National University) – "Work Incentive Experiments in the US and Canada."
Dr. Troy Henderson (University of Sydney & ABI Lab Co-Director) – "Debates and Controversies: Contemporary Cash Transfer Experiments and Basic Income Pilots."

Session 4: Reflections

Time: 12:45 PM - 1:15 PM
Speaker: Assoc. Prof. Ben Spies-Butcher (Macquarie University & ABI Lab Co-Director)