A new report from an independent polling agency says health care, housing affordability, and honesty in politics are top issues as Canada heads toward a general election in October
The Angus Reid Institute survey shows that just under half of eligible voters (48%) have decided which party they will vote for, leaving a slightly larger number of as yet uncommitted voters.
Canadians are almost evenly split between voters who have firmly decided which party to vote for, and the as yet uncommitted (Angus Reid Institute)
The top overall issue is that of climate change especially among those under age 35, while for those over age 55 it falls to second place behind health care issues.
The issues in descending order for voters not yet committed to a party are:
- Improving health care access = 71%
- Transparency/honesty in government = 70%
- Climate change = 59%
- Access to affordable housing = 58%
- Amount of taxes I pay = 58%
- Natural resources/energy policy = 53%
- Job opportunities in my community = 50%
- Immigration policy = 42%
- Living conditions for First Nations = 40%
- Managing the federal debt = 38%
Federal party leaders – including, from left, the Greens’ Elizabeth May, Conservative Andrew Scheer, Liberal Justin Trudeau and New Democrat Jagmeet Singh – face an electorate anxious about the cost of living and concerned about the environment, Honesty in the federal government has also become a concern. Not shown is Maxime Bernier, leader of the right leaning People’s Party of Canada formed only late last year. (CP-AP)
However, when asked to choose just one top issue respondents chose climate change as the top concern (23%) followed by health care (18%), taxes (15%), affordable housing (13%) and honesty in federal government (7%)
The currently governing Liberal government of Justin Trudeau is getting good marks among the uncommitted for issues such as climate change and health care delivery, but due to several scandals such as the SNC Lavalin affair, is very low on the scale when it comes to ethics and transparency.
Voter intentions at this point with only several weeks left before the general election (Angus Reid Institute)
Canada’s federal general election is scheduled for October 21. Several polls in the past few months have placed the ruling Liberals and opposition Conservatives within a few points of each other in terms of popularity.
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