NDP candidate Alexandra Nash fighting against inequality

Alexandra Nash has a friendly and welcoming smile, and behind her glasses, it’s possible to see the eyes of a dreamer. On the pocket of her shirt is a pin with the party’s initials that shares her ideals: the New Democratic Party. The young student of psychology at Ryerson University is running as an NDP Candidate in Eglinton-Lawrence. Daughter of anti-apartheid activists from South Africa, she was raised with democratic values and a desire for a change. To take a stand against injustice and inequality.

She moved to Canada when she was five years old and has been living in Eglinton-Lawrence ever since. “It is a fantastic community, and I couldn’t ask for a better place to have grown up,” she says. Wanting to make a change in her community, Nash volunteered with Fight for $15 Fairness, TCC Riders, and the Saint Felix Center: shelter for homeless people, among other organizations. 

“Nothing would be fulfilling for me if it was not helping other people in some way. I really do believe in giving back to my community. And using the skills and the tools at my disposal to do the best I can in the world,” she says.

It was with that thought that she decided to run as a candidate. “I decided it’s time to take a stand. Stand up for young people who aren’t sure of what their future is going to look like. And to stand up for seniors who struggle to make their pension cover everything they need in their daily lives. For everyone else who has been taken to the curve and hasn’t been listening to for far too long.”

The promise of a change

Alexandra promises to change by fighting to level out the discrepancy between the wealthy and the poorest families. “Make sure that everyone in Eglinton-Lawrence and, ultimately, everyone in Canada can live comfortably, get through unemployment and get an education if they wanted,” she says. 

When asked about her political view, she talks about a Canadian Green New Deal. The aim is to prioritize climate, but without putting aside the many related intersectional issues. Alexandra explains some problems are tied together, and poverty is one of them. Natural disasters have disproportional impacts on those living in worse conditions. Therefore when moving to a green economy, it’s necessary to ensure that the government also supports those with the greatest need.

This includes the NDP project to invest and expand health care, including pharmacare. To invest in affordable homes, focusing on resolving the problem of homelessness and poverty. 

 “What we need to do, and what the Canadian government needs to do, is focus on people that already have difficulty,” she says. 

And how is that going to be possible? By making sure that everyone is paying their fair share: “One of my core values, one of the NDP core values, is that we need to help each other out as a society.” The NDP will apply a 1% tax on personal fortunes above $20 million. Furthermore, the party also has a plan to increase the corporate tax rate from 15 to 18 percent, as it was in 2010, and increase the top income tax rate, as well.

“In order to make sure we are lifting people, we need those resources. And we need them to come from those who can afford to give,” she adds.

New perspectives

To accomplish her political goals, Nash brings new perspectives. “You can believe me when I say I am not in this for myself,” she assures, referencing the party slogan In it for you. As a young, queer and Jewish woman, Alexandra is running for an opportunity to break the predictable political cycle. 

“We need representation, and that includes young people. And we need something different. Honestly, we’ve had the same middle age, mostly men, making these decisions for all of us for a very long time. And young people are the ones that are facing the future,” she says. 

“We are going to fight for the future we want to see.”