20 years ago a struggling law student, born to immigrant parents in Ontario, who was once unsure of his place in politics is now all set to topple the Trudeau heirloom. Jagmeet Singh, since his early days as an activist, has emerged as a significant figure in politics, with his eyes firmly set on the leadership of the country. And now, his dream seems to be coming true.
Jagmeet Singh’s political career in Canada has been really intriguing. Singh’s ascent hasn’t, however, been without controversy. His use of his position in the NDP to advance his own interests rather than those of the people has been charged by many as being in collaboration with Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada. Singh has nevertheless become a ray of hope, a champion of social justice, and a visionary leader with a daring new vision for the future while the Canadian prime minister’s standing has only slipped. Singh’s rise in Canadian politics was somewhat parallel to the time when Canada was going through a ‘faith crisis’ in politics, and the common public had no face to vote for.
Recently, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh announced an unspecified plan to take the raise and “give it to families and food banks.” This comes in the midst of uproar about soaring supermarket inflation, it was revealed that Loblaw head Galen Weston received a raise of over $1.2 million.
“I’m sick of this. Every cent of Greedy Galen’s 55% raise deserves to be taxed,” wrote Singh in a tweet.
This was followed by an official NDP website inviting supporters to add their names to a petition calling for Weston’s raise to “go to the people who need it more.”
“We should tax Galen Weston’s million-dollar raise and send that money to families and food banks,” it reads against a page soliciting a supporter’s name, address, email and phone number.
George Weston Ltd., a holding company encompassing more than two dozen Canadian retail companies, including No Frills, Shoppers Drug Mart, and Provigo, is run by Weston, who serves as CEO. Additionally, he serves as chairman of Loblaw Companies Ltd., one of its subsidiaries.
The George Weston board increased the combined salary of their CEO last year by roughly $1.2 million to a total of $11.8 million on the recommendation of a compensation consultancy.
Even if a large percentage of Weston’s remuneration is in the form of stock options and other equity awards, the $1.2 million raise would still be heavily taxed if it were made in cash.
Given Singh’s reference to “every cent” of Weston’s raise, he may be calling for a 100 per cent tax on all of Weston’s income beyond his prior compensation of $10.6 million per year.
Now, Singh can be seen adopting Karl Marx-style socialism that is bound to captivate the voter’s minds. Marx’s socialism, at its foundation, aimed to establish a society in which the working class controls the means of production as opposed to being exploited by a powerful ruling class.
Read More: How NDP plans to wipe Trudeau’s Liberal party off Canada’s political map
Through his writings and ideas, Marx continues to ”inspire” generations of activists and Jagmeet Singh seems to be a part of that club.
He is going vocal against the unnecessary hikes Canadian CEOs are getting paid and ensuring Canadians that he will give it to families and food banks. While the food and healthcare crises continue to ravage the Canadian society, he is emerging as a strong voice for change, proposing to take CEO raises and redistribute those funds to those who need them the most.
This plan of Jagmeet Singh is poised to resonate with Canadians across the country. Singh will surely emerge as a potent and effective alternative, who can guide Canada towards a brighter, more fair future, as Trudeau already comes under increasing fire for his poor handling of these issues.
There is no secret that Trudeau and Jagmeet are bedmates who allied on the condition of the dental care program. But, this dalliance too keeps on experiencing ripples owing to the Trudeau government’s mismanagement of the country. There have been several instances when Jagmeet has threatened of divorcing the Liberals and hinted at taking the baton. But, this dream of Jagmeet continues to be a pie in the sky. Hence, now, it appears that Jagmeet Singh has taken the decision to go all out against Trudeau.
Jagmeet‘s recent step toward socialism is likely to be a major draw for Canada‘s diverse electorate. His proposed policy could be especially attractive to Canada‘s lower–income and marginalized communities, such as migrants, Muslims, and poorer Canadians. And most importantly, by championing socialist causes, Jagmeet Singh could potentially erode the voter base of Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oygcqQoEQMo
