Singh says taxing the rich will be among top NDP policy goals for the federal election | CBC News

Jagmeet Singh is hinting at some of the NDP’s campaign promises as the party prepares for a federal election expected to begin as early as this week.

Singh and the NDP are scheduled to release their plan during a Thursday news conference at 9:30 a.m. ET in St. John’s. A news release describes the plan as the party’s “commitment to Canadians” rather than a traditional campaign platform.

But in an interview tonight on CBC’s Power & Politics, Singh said the plan to be announced tomorrow will reflect the party’s goals if an election is called.

“Top of the list is a question about how we pay for the pandemic and the recovery,” he said.

Singh said a successful recovery will require higher taxes on wealthy Canadians and large corporations that do business here.

“That’s going to be our main push,” he added. “Let’s make the billionaires pay their fair share and invest in what people need.”

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While the NDP appears to be gearing up for an election, Singh also stressed that his party would rather go back to work Ottawa than head out on the campaign trail.

“We know that there’s a lot that needs to be done immediately,” said Singh, who listed the conversion therapy ban, mandatory minimum sentences and the opioid crisis as issues in need of urgent attention.

“Let’s continue to fight for the help that people need instead of spending time on an election which will take us away from doing the work that communities need us to do right now.”

Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole also has said that Trudeau should not rush the country into a federal election during a fourth wave of the pandemic.

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