By Tan Mei Xi
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Last week, an expert panel appointed by the BC government rejected the idea of a basic income in BC but made significant recommendations to improve BC's social safety net.

According to the expert panel, a basic income for British Columbians is not the optimal path to creating a "just" society instead. Instead, the panel recommended using the "spirit" of a basic income to transform and enhance the current income and social support system.

The expert panel was comprised of UBC Economics professor David Green, SFU School of Public Policy professor Jonathan Kesselmanm, and University of Calgary professor Lindsay Tedds.

Jenna van Draanen, a chair of the Basic Income Canada Network, told The PULSE that she was "disappointed" with the findings of the panel. Van Draanen said that the report was focused on patching a broken safety net that inevitably would see some people fall through the cracks.