Even if Prime Minister Justin Trudeau finds himself taking a walk in the snow by Canada’s next federal election, he said that he will remain a social activist focused on causes he’s championed while in office.
Stephen Dubner interviewed Trudeau on Apr. 19, discussing many of his policies and legacy. The podcast was posted to Freakonomics’ website last Wednesday.
Trudeau said that he would still be a teacher if he had not entered politics. When he leaves politics, he plans to return to teaching in some form.
“I’m ultimately a social activist who’s going to look to how I can have a positive impact on the world. I did it as a teacher. I’m doing it now as a politician. Whatever I do next, I will continue to try and have an impact on the world. But for now, I’m very much happy and focused on the job I have and not thinking about the future too much, except the future for young Canadians that we’re trying to build,” said Trudeau.
The future appears bleak for young Canadians. A recent survey reveals that they have experienced the second-largest drop in life satisfaction among their peers, ranking them as the least happy demographic under 30 in the G7 nations.
Trudeau said that young Canadians no longer feel the country’s economy works for them, as it did for their grandparents and parents, who could come out of school, get a good job, rent a place, and save for a down payment. Accessibility to the middle class has fallen, he admitted.
Economic inequality in Canada has reached the biggest gap between the richest and poorest households since Trudeau took office in 2015.
Trudeau said his recent budget increases the capital gains tax to 67% to allegedly help young people by taxing the wealthiest 0.1%.
Leaders in healthcare and entrepreneurship have warned Trudeau’s government that the hike will affect far more than the top 0.1%, encouraging doctors and tech workers to leave Canada in search of more competitive income and taxes. Additionally, it could drive investment away from Canada.
Trudeau said that bringing 500,000 people annually to Canada is “totally sustainable” despite facing growing scrutiny over his government’s record-level targets.
True North previously reported that about 2.2 million newcomers immigrate to Canada annually when temporary immigration programs were accounted for.
Over half of Canadians want Trudeau to reduce immigration targets, with 75% of Canadians believing that immigration is fuelling the housing crisis.
“One of our competitive advantages is that Canadians remain positive to immigration,” said Trudeau.
Recent polls show that even immigrants who relocated to Canada within the last decade feel that too many immigrants are coming to Canada.
“We’re going to need more immigration, in terms of healthcare workers, construction workers, and skilled trades responding to the housing challenges we’re facing by building more supply,” said Trudeau.
The Prime Minister blamed many of the country’s issues on populism, which he said is taking place South of the border and within the current Conservative Party.
“We have the same kind of anxieties and populism and frustration and amplification of fears by certain political parties instead of trying to solve problems,” he said.
Oxford Dictionary defines populism as “a political approach that strives to appeal to ordinary people who feel that their concerns are disregarded by established elite groups.”