Known for having ‘a sharp wit and a keen mind,’ he served as chief of staff to Brian Mulroney and as a senator during his long career in politics, and was dedicated to establishing a universal basic income
Hugh Segal liked to say that he grew up on “the cheery edge of poverty.” But there was nothing cheery about the day the bailiff came for the furniture.
But better-off relatives ensured Mr. Segal and his brothers got a good education. And in May, 1962, prime minister John Diefenbaker came to his school to speak about his bill of rights and the common duty of all citizens to serve their country. “Diefenbaker’s words lit a pilot light inside of me,” Mr. Segal wrote. Then and there, he committed to a life of public service.
In 1983 Mr. Segal left for a career in advertising and marketing, while also appearing often as a political commentator on TV. Almost a decade later, in 1991, prime minister Brian Mulroney brought him on as chief of staff, at a time when his government was enmeshed in fights over the goods and services tax, the North American free trade agreement and the Charlottetown constitutional accord.
The Senate gave Mr. Segal a platform to champion a cause to which he was passionately dedicated: establishing a guaranteed annual income for all Canadians. He almost saw his wish partly fulfilled. In 2016 Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne asked Mr. Segal to advise her on creating a basic-income pilot project. That Ms. Wynne was a Liberal and Mr. Segal a Conservative was no impediment to either of them.
“Ford had campaigned on a slogan of ‘For the people.’ Obviously, this didn’t extend to low-income people,” he wrote bitterly.
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