By Voting Against a Wealth Tax, Canada’s Politicians Have Shown Who They Really Work For
The vast majority of Canadians support a wealth tax, but 90 percent of the country’s MPs recently voted against a proposal to establish one. When push comes to shove, Canadian politicians are just as much in thrall to the rich as their US counterparts.
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau arrives for a press availability at the Canadian embassy on October 11, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images)
Canadians often like to imagine that their country, unlike the United States, is one characterized by progressive and efficient governance that is responsive to the needs of middle-class and working-class voters. But Canada’s parliament has consistently proven otherwise.
In truth, our country’s political system works very well for its wealthy citizens, but not for the vast majority of Canadians. When the chips are down, Canadian politicians prove to be just as much in thrall to big money as their US counterparts.
A clear example came on November 16 when the social democratic New Democratic Party (NDP) put forward a motion to enact an overwhelmingly popular tax on wealth and excess profits, only to have it blocked by the ruling Liberals, as well as the Conservatives and Bloc Québécois.
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