Canadians are working harder than ever – and are falling further behind.
Wages haven’t kept up, rents and groceries are through the roof, and people are being told to tighten their belts.
Meanwhile, a small group of CEOs are paying themselves millions – sometimes hundreds of times more than the people who actually make their companies run.
In its latest report released January 2nd, 2026, the CCPA reports a record-breaking year for CEO pay in Canada. The gap between CEO pay and average workers’ pay is at its highest: 248 times.
That’s not fair. And it’s not sustainable.
Enough is enough.
It’s time we put an end to outrageous CEO pay by putting it in the only way they will understand, in terms of money:
- If a company pays its CEO more than 50 times what it pays its typical worker, it will pay a penalty.
- The bigger the pay gap, the higher the penalty.
Companies have a choice: raise wages, rein in out-of-control executive pay, or watch more of their profits go to the public good. The choice is theirs.
Workers create wealth in this country, and they deserve their fair share.
When we stand up for working people, and take on corporate excess, we build an economy that works for everyone, not corporate elites.
Background
Rob Ashton will impose a federal corporate tax surcharge on large corporations when:
- CEO or highest-paid executive compensation exceeds 50× the company’s median worker pay, calculated annually.
- The tax surcharge escalates as the pay gap grows, ensuring the biggest offenders pay the most.
| CEO–Median Worker Pay Ratio | Tax Surcharge |
|---|---|
| 50x – 100x | +0.5% |
| 101x – 150x | +1.0% |
| 151x – 200x | +1.5% |
| 201x – 250x | +2.0% |
| 251x – 300x | +2.5% |
| 301x – 350x | +3.0% |
| 351x – 400x | +3.5% |
| 401x – 450x | +4.0% |
| 451x – 500x | +4.5% |
| Over 500x | +5.0% |
Big companies will have a choice
- Raise worker pay
- Reduce excessive executive pay
- Pay a penalty – that will be reinvested in working people.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer estimated that this policy would bring $1.7 billion a year. Revenue raised will be directed toward putting money back in people’s pockets, such as affordability relief, affordable housing, and healthcare.
This policy will only target very large corporations for both public and large private companies – preventing companies from dodging the rules by changing ownership structure. Small businesses will be explicitly excluded. This policy goes after corporate concentration and executive excess, not small businesses or frontline workers.
To prevent avoidance and gimmicks, Rob’s plan includes:
- Mandatory reporting of CEO-to-median-worker pay ratios for covered firms, and disclosure of all executives whose compensation exceeds the 50:1 ratio.
- Clear definitions of compensation, including salary, bonuses, stock awards, options, and other benefits.
- Anti-avoidance rules to stop companies from gaming the system by outsourcing, contracting, or restructuring solely to suppress median wages.