A Vancouver activist with no seat in Parliament has emerged as the top fundraiser in the New Democratic Party leadership race, pulling in more donations than all of his rivals combined as the contest heads toward a final vote.Blacklock's Reporter says federal filings from Elections Canada show Avi Lewis raised $1.2 million through 10,407 contributions, largely driven by small donations under $100 tied to his campaign pledge to “tax the rich.”The total is more than double what his closest rival, Heather McPherson, brought in. McPherson raised $560,144 from 3,807 donors.Other candidates trailed significantly. Robert Ashton collected $356,933 from just over 2,000 contributors, while Tanille Johnston raised $191,032 and Tony McQuail brought in $116,193.The party opened online voting on March 9, with a new leader set to be announced March 29 in Winnipeg.Lewis has built his campaign around aggressive tax proposals targeting wealthy Canadians, including a 45% inheritance tax on estates over $5 million — a levy abolished in Canada in 1972. .He has also proposed a 1% annual tax on individuals with more than $10 million in assets and a hike in the top income tax rate from 33% to 37% on those earning more than $1 million annually.His platform further calls for eliminating preferential treatment of capital gains by taxing them at the same rate as employment income, arguing the measures would both generate revenue and reduce inequality.Lewis comes from a political lineage. He is the grandson of David Lewis, who famously criticized corporate subsidies in the 1970s.The leadership race follows the resignation of Jagmeet Singh, who stepped down after leading the party to just seven seats in the April 28 federal election — its worst result since 1935 — and losing his own riding in Burnaby Central.Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux has previously criticized the party’s direction, telling the House of Commons the New Democrats are becoming increasingly irrelevant as they struggle to rebuild support.
