Bootstraps Need Boots: One Tory's Lonely Fight to End Poverty in Canada

For more than four decades, Hugh Segal has been one of the leading voices of progressive conservatism in Canada. A self-described Red Tory warrior who disdains “bootstrap” approaches to poverty, he has worked tirelessly to bring about policies that support the most economically vulnerable in society. Central to his life's work has been the championing of a basic annual income for all Canadians.

Why would a life-long Tory support something so radical? In this revealing memoir, Segal shares how his life and experiences brought him to this most unlikely of places. He traces a trajectory from his childhood in a poor immigrant family in working-class Montreal to his time as a chief of staff for Prime Minister Mulroney and to his more recent work as an advisor on a basic income for the Ontario Liberal government. Along the way, he has worked across party lines to promote an anti-poverty agenda. This book is a passionate argument not only for why a basic annual income makes economic sense, but for why it is the right thing to do.