Canadians Satisfied, Happy with
Liberal Government After One Year
Most see country better off
now, heading in right direction
TORONTO, October 13th
– In
a random sampling of public opinion taken by the Forum Poll™ among 1437
Canadian voters, close to half (47%) rate the Liberal government’s first year
in office as “excellent” (20%) or “good” (27%), and this is slightly down from
six months ago (April, 2016 - 51%), One half (51%) now say the government has
done a “fair” (32%) or “poor” job (19%).
Liberal government rated best
for its handling of Foreign Affairs, worst for electoral reform
When asked to rate how well the government has done on
select files, voters see Foreign Affairs as the one area where the best
performance has been seen, and more than half (55%) rate it “good” (27%) or
“excellent” (27%). After this comes “keeping its election promises” which
receives an overall positive score of close to one half (47%), or about one
sixth “excellent” (14%) and one third “good” (33%). After this comes the
environment (48% overall) the economy (44% overall) and marijuana legalization
(overall positive 44%). The government takes its lowest ratings for enacting
“electoral reform” (30% overall positive).
Most see country heading in
right direction
Close to one half
of voters see Canada heading in “the right direction” (45%, and this, too, is
slightly down from six months ago (April, 2016 - 48%), but well up from last
summer, before the election (August, 2105 - 26%). A third see the country
heading in the wrong direction (32%), and this is down from six months ago
(April, 2016 - 37%) and well down from mid summer last year (August, 2015 -
50%). Just less than a fifth think the country is headed in neither right nor
wrong direction (17%).
Most see country better off now than a year ago
Close to half say Canada is “better off now” than a year ago
(45%), and this is very similar to levels noted in spring (April, 2016 - 48%),
and much higher than they were at the beginning of 2015 (January, 2015 - 20%
“better off”). About one quarter of voters see the country as being “worse off”
now than a year ago (26%), and this is well down from spring (April, 2016 - 37%
“worse off”). Just one quarter take the middle road and say the country is
neither better nor worse off now than a year ago (26%), and these pragmatists
are the oldest (32%) and New Democrats (35%).
Just under two thirds
satisfied with outcome of federal election
Just less than two thirds of voters (61%) are “very
satisfied” (34%) or “somewhat satisfied” (27%) with the outcome of the federal
election, and levels of high satisfaction are stable since spring (May, 2016 -
36% “very satisfied”). Virtually all Liberals are satisfied (92% “very/somewhat
satisfied”), as are 6-in-10 New Democrats (61%). Conservative are unsatisfied
with the electoral outcome (16% “very/somewhat satisfied”).
Voters want pipelines
approved
When asked which election promise the Liberal government
should keep next, the plurality chose “approving a crude oil pipeline” (21%),
and this is common in Alberta (59%) and among Conservatives (49%) but not
especially among Liberals (22%) or New Democrats (9%). Other promises voters
want to see kept are creating a new relationship with Canada’s First nations
(18%), legalizing marijuana (13%), enacting electoral reform (11%) and
repealing Bill C-51 (10%). Fewer see trade deals as important (8%).
Majority approve of
peacekeeping mission to Africa, until danger is mentioned
The majority of voters approve of the government’s plan to
send 600 peacekeeping troops to Africa (56%), and this is especially common to
Liberals (68%) and New Democrats (56%) but not so much to Conservatives (41%).
Three-in-ten voters disapprove of this mission (31%). Once it is mentioned,
however, that the Foreign Minister has admitted Canadian peacekeepers could
come under fire, only a plurality approves (44%), rather than a majority, and
4-in-10 now disapprove (39%).
“Canadians are as happy with their new government now, a
year later, as they were six months ago. This doesn’t appear to be a honeymoon
as much as it is the beginning of a long and stable marriage” said Forum Research
President, Dr. Lorne Bozinoff.
Lorne Bozinoff, Ph.D. is
the president and founder of Forum Research. He can be reached at lbozinoff@forumresearch.com
or at (416) 960-9603.
