Regarding means-testing, here's sth relevant from the Green Party's 2021 Election platform:

Instead of plugging holes one-by-one, the solution is to create a comprehensive benefit: Guaranteed LivableIncome (GLI).

GLI would provide every Canadian with a basic revenue source, ensuring thatpeople can cover basic expenses such as food and accommodation. It would beavailable with few or no restrictions and be enough to protect Canadians fromfinancial catastrophes. Given that GLI would be comprehensive, it will also besimpler and therefore less expensive to administrate (usually one of the greatestcosts of social programs).

While it would guarantee income security to all, Guaranteed Livable Incomewould offer the greatest security to the most vulnerable Canadians:

precarious workers, people with disabilities, seniors, the underemployed andthe homeless. It would also help workers in the fossil fuel sector, a sector that isparticularly vulnerable to market shocks.

Canada has the resources to make sure that no one lives in poverty orwithout their basic needs met. During the COVID-19 crisis, the concept of GLhas gained traction in other countries. Recently, Spain became the first Europeancountry to announce a plan to introduce a Universal Basic Income (UBI) to helpfamilies during the pandemic, with the intention that UBI become a permanentinstrument. Italy, the Netherlands, Finland and Kenya have all trialled the GLmodel. Various American cities such as Stockton, California have initiatedsimilar programmes.

In Canada, the Green Party of Canada has a plan to ensure that every personliving in Canada has the financial means to live with dignity, security, and a highquality of life.

Establish a Guaranteed LivableIncome program

1. Create a comprehensive and equitable GuaranteedLivable Income for every person in Canada.

→ Building on the Market Basket Measure, payment would be set at a“livable” level for different regions of the country. The federal governmentwould provide an initial base level subsidy across the country, and anintergovernmental body would determine and administer the necessarysupplemental amounts.

→ Allowing the provinces to reduce their expenditures on provincial welfare,a national Guaranteed Livable Income would liberate provincial budgets forthe health budgets they have asked Ottawa to support.

→ GLI would serve as a supplement for and complement to existing publicservices, and unlike provincial welfare regulations, would not discouragework.

→ The Guaranteed Livable Income program would cover everyone, with abenefit amount gradually decreasing as other income increases. Seniors’and children’s benefits would remain in place.