No program has yet been designed to eliminate poverty. Ontario’s pilot BI program was based on 75% of the LIM (StatCan’s low income measure). Expanding that nationwide would cost $76-$79B, as per PBO estimates http://www.pbo-dpb.gc.ca/web/default/files/Documents/Reports/2018/Basic%20Income/Basic_Income_Costing_EN.pdf
The net cost could be a little lower if some provinces cut some refundable tax credits.
Seniors are not covered (they have OAS and GIS) and families with kids still get CCB in this formulation.
Given price tag ($76B=Add 26 percentage points GST) this design of BI ain’t happening
GST now raises $37-38B in revenue. Each percentage point of the 13% tax generates ~$2.9B on average, so you’d need to it up ~ 26 percentage points (GST of 40%!) but you wouldn’t collect it all, as more biz would go underground. So you’d lose personal and corporate taxes too.
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