Craig Allan
Business Manager

 

Te interview was conducted before
the recent announcement of the
upcoming federal election for September
20 and before Singh’s announcement of
his upcoming first child.

Since the beginning of October
four years ago Jagmeet Singh has been
leading the federal New Democratic
Party. He became the first visible
minority to front a major political party;
Singh is a seasoned leader (second
only to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau)
when considering length leading one
of Canada’s four federal parties. The
Other Press spoke with Singh about
what the NDP’s goals are for many
current issues including what the NDP
will do for post secondary students
like those at Douglas College; his views

and approaches to systemic racism; his
comments on residential schools; and
his views on the snap election.

As an attendee of law school,
Singh knows how crushing student
debt can be to a student’s ability to
learn. “When | went to law school it
was $8,000 a year, now it’s $30,000 a
year.” If elected, the NDP promises to
fight for no federal interest on student
loans and debt forgiveness for students
who are trying to pay off current loans.
“There should be no profit making off
of the backs of students in debt.” These
are all moves that Singh is planning in
the hopes of building a Canada that is,
in his perspective, “barrier free when it
comes to education.”

Systemic racism has dominated
the news cycle in the last year. If
elected, Singh says that he would

 

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look at racism in every facet of the
government to root out, in his opinion,
the elements of racism that are
ingrained in government. “It’s not that
it’s complicated; it’s that it is in so many
different systems.” Singh states that it is
his wish that everyone in Canada feels
safe and welcomed.

The NDP leader also believes
that Canada needs to do a better job
in addressing the concerns of some
Indigenous people, in approaching
reconciliation, and in how it has
addressed residential schools. He is
critical of the Liberals and Trudeau’s
current plans to address Indigenous
issues. He believe that “right now, the
Liberals are planning to fail Indigenous
people.” He believes that the Truth
and Reconciliation Commission is the
roadmap to reconciliation and wants