Ontario Pension Plan favoured by
half
Tax on high earners favoured by two
thirds
TORONTO MAY 3rd,
2014 - In a
random sampling of public opinion taken by the Forum Poll™ among 1845 Ontario
voters, close to one half approve of the government's plan to create an Ontario
Retirement Pension Plan (ORPP - 48%). One third disapprove of the idea (32%)
and one fifth don't know (20%). Approval of this plan is highest among Gen Y
(35 to 44 - 53%), the oldest (65+ - 53%), the wealthier ($80K to $100K - 54%),
among Liberals (67%) and New Democrats (63%), but not among PC supporters
(30%). One half agree that it's better for the federal government to raise CPP
contributions and benefits (47%) rather than have provinces create
supplementary plans (21%). One fifth say neither of these is necessary (20%).
Two thirds approve of tax on high
earners
More than two thirds of
voters approve of the government's plan to tax incomes over $150,000 at a
higher rate (68%), and just one quarter disapprove (24%). Few do not have an
opinion (8%). Approval is higher among New Democrats (85%) and Liberals (80%) than
it is among PCs (49%). Even those in the targeted income bracket agree ($100K
to $250K - 63%).
7-in-10 approve of raise for day care
workers/PCWs
Just less than three quarters
of voters approve the raise the government gave day care workers and Personal Care
Workers (PCWs) in the budget (71%), especially among Liberals (86%) and
New Democrats (85%) but not so much by PCs (55%).
Gas tax initiatives, selling GM shares
popular ways to pay for transit
Directing one half of the gas
tax collected in Ontario to transit and transportation is popular with more
than half (55%), while just a quarter disapprove (24%). This idea is more
popular with Liberals (64%) than among PCs (55%) or New Democrats (60%).
Redirecting all of the HST
charged on gas to the same ends is also popular (51% approve, 24% disapprove),
especially among Liberals (59%), but also among PCs (53%) and New Democrats
(53%).
Selling Ontario's GM shares
to pay for transit is popular (53% approve, 29% disapprove), among PCs
especially (62%) but not so much among New Democrats (50%).
Raising corporate taxes in
Ontario engenders a split in opinion (45% approve, 43% disapprove) and
disapproval is highest among PCs (67%), but not among Liberals (32%) and New
Democrats (32%).
Selling provincially-owned
land and buildings is even less popular (25% approve, 57% disapprove), even
among PCs (27% approve).
The least popular idea,
espoused by the PCs, is eliminating Ontario's Greenbelt legislation and opening
up more farmland to development (15% approve, 77% disapprove). Approval is
highest among the least wealthy (24%), among PCs (24%) in southwestern Ontario
(20%) and those who approve of Tim Hudak (31%).
Overall more think budget bad for
economy than think it good
The plurality of voters think
the recent Ontario budget will be bad for the economy (39%), compared to half
this proportion who think it will be good (21%). One fifth either think it will
have no economic effect (21%) or don't have an opinion (19%). PCs are
especially likely to think the budget will harm the economy (67%), New
Democrats somewhat less so (34%). However, the budget musters support from just
one half of Liberal voters (52%).
“Premier Wynne's signature provincial pension plan wins more
praise than scorn and her plan for taxing high earners is well-liked too.
Ontarians don't seem as eager to engage in a sell-off though, neither real
estate nor our GM shares. However, the reserve their deepest disfavour for Tim
Hudak's idea of freeing up more farmland for development," 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.
