History of Universal Basic Income:
Basic Income European Network: Historical Notes,
Nicola Stanley-Clarke: The History of the Universal Basic Income,
Alison Marshall: A History of UBI in NZ
Lowell Manning: A Brief Summary of a Thesis by Walter Van Trier,
[requires MS WORD]
History of Universal Basic Income New Zealand:
In September 1991, Michael Goldsmith organised a Saturday conference on Basic Income proposals at the University of Waikato. The name "Universal Basic Income" was used in Keith Rankin's paper, presented to that conference. This paper gained widespread publicity following Rankin's interview with Kathryn Asare on National Radio. The paper, "The Universal Welfare State; incorporating proposals for a Universal Basic Income", was widely circulated before publication. It was eventually published as a Policy Discussion Paper by the Economics Department of the University of Auckland. A slightly modified version was published in the April 1992 issue of the New Zealand Political Review.
The organisation UBINZ was formed in Palmerston North subsequent to the April 1992 publication of Rankin's article. The UBI name has since come to be a generic term in New Zealand for tax-benefit reforms that provide an unconditional social income to individuals.
Through the efforts of Rendall Conwell and Ian Ritchie, UBINZ became a national network. UBINZ has organised two national conferences (1996, 1998; both in Wellington) on Universal Basic Income. Following the 1996 conference, Helen Marsh established a website (see August 1996 newsletter) with UBINZ material and basic income links (http://www.iconz.co.nz/~iwgordon/ubinz.htm).
The present website extends Helen's pioneering work, in publishing the UBINZ conference papers, and in establishing simple home pages for UBI activists.
UBINZ has been grateful for the financial support it has received from The Prince Albert College Fund of the Methodist Church of New Zealand.