Talon Times Article

Article published in the December issue of the Talon Times (school newspaper of Glenforest Secondary School, Mississauga, Ontario).
Personal Note: I am misquoted as saying “and the most Mr. Harper ever cut was 2% on diesel tax”. In reality, my criticism was that the biggest cut in the 2008 platform was a 2% cut on the diesel tax. I acknowledged the tax cuts that have happened in the past few years.

GFSS GRAD FOR PRIME MINISTER!
BY: KEVIN KANG

Did the last federal election leave you feeling unsatisfied? After spending 300 million tax dollars on the election, the same politicians showed up to work the next morning, bringing old and worn-out policies and filling many Canadians with that familiar feeling of cynical frustration. Perhaps it’s time for some fresh faces on Parliament Hill!
Mr. Dritan Kallamata, a Glenforest alumni, has taken steps to become the next agent of change. Now in his 3rd year of university, Mr. Kallamata is currently taking part in CBC’s Canada’s Next Great Prime Minister competition.
In this competition, young candidates from across Canada must provide solutions to challenging current issues and upload them onto the CBC website. Then, Canadian viewers will cast their votes to decide who has what it takes to move onto the next round and potentially become the next great Prime Minister.
On December 5th, Mr. Kallamata visited Glenforest and delivered his platform to the aspiring grade 12 Economics class of Mr. Nikoletos. He placed special emphasis on his proposed Negative Income Tax plan, offering Canadians a flat tax and a guaranteed income of $7,500.
“Canadians are one of the most tax burdened people in the world,” said Mr. Kallamata, “and the most Mr. Harper ever cut was 2% on diesel tax”.
Mr. Kallamata also addressed other pressing issues such as foreign aid, the auto bailout, and the coalition government.
A man of political savvy and sophistication, Mr. Kallamata, also known as “Tani” by his friends, also has a less formal side that the average Canadian can relate to. His slogan of “Canada Simple – Policy we can understand” may appeal to enough voters to propel him into the next round of the competition.
Mr. Kallamata graduated from Glenforest in 2006 and is now pursuing an Economics and Finance Joint Honours degree at McGill University. Mr. Nikoletos remembers him as a disciple of Milton Friedman and a “superb Economics student”.
To find out more about CBC’s Next Great Prime Minister and to vote for your favourite candidate, log on to the CBC website and view videos of each candidate’s platform.

Mr. Kallamata and Mr. Nikoletos exchanging a friendly handshake.