Canadians Give Government Mixed Reviews on
Getting Things Done

Toronto, ON - Over the past two years the government has reiterated that its primary focus has been to strengthen the economy by getting Canadians back to work. A new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Postmedia News and Global Television has revealed that while a majority (63%) of Canadians believe the government has been getting things done on the jobs file, overall the reviews are mixed on many of the other files the government has been managing.

The following is a list of policy areas where a majority of Canadians believe that the government has been getting either `a lot' or `some' things done on that file:

• Bolstering the military - 73% (13% a lot/60% some) vs. 27% not getting anything done
• Afghanistan - 71% (14% a lot/57% some) vs. 29% not getting anything done
• Crime - 67% (9% a lot/57% some) vs. 33% not getting anything done
• Enhancing Canada's reputation in the world - 64% (13% a lot/51% some) vs. 36% not getting anything done
• Job creation - 63% (9% a lot/55% some) vs. 37% not getting anything done
• Veteran's affairs - 56% (5% a lot/51% some) vs. 44% not getting anything done

Canadians aren't quite as impressed with the government's performance on the following files, with only a minority believing that the government has got anything (a lot or some) done on that file, and a majority believing the government has not got anything done:

• Helping the elderly - 49% (6% a lot/43% some) vs. 51% not getting anything done
• Climate change - 49% (6% a lot/43% some) vs. 51% not getting anything done
• Democratic reform in the House of Commons - 48% (3% a lot/45% some) vs. 52% not getting anything done
• Human smuggling - 48% (6% a lot/42% some) vs. 52% not getting anything done
• An elected Senate - 47% (3% a lot/44% some) vs. 53% not getting anything done
• Improving the healthcare system - 45% (7% a lot/38% some) vs. 55% not getting anything done
• Strengthening the pension system - 41% (5% a lot/36% some) vs. 59% not getting anything done

The Top 3...

Canadians have given the best assessment to the government on the military (73%), Afghanistan, and crime files (67%). But some regions of the country are more likely than others to think the government has done a good job:

• Residents of Alberta (81%) are most likely to believe that the government has got things done on the military file, followed by those living in Saskatchewan and Manitoba (80%), Quebec (76%), British Columbia (72%), Ontario (70%) and Atlantic Canada (67%).
• When it comes to Afghanistan, Albertans (84%) are also the most likely to believe that the government got things done on this file, followed by those living in Saskatchewan and Manitoba (78%), Ontario (76%), British Columbia (68%), Atlantic Canada (65%) and Quebec (59%).
• On the crime file, Albertans (78%) are most likely to believe the government made progress, while residents of British Columbia (68%), Ontario (66%), Quebec (66%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (61%) and Atlantic Canada (59%) were less likely to think so.

The Bottom 3...

Canadians were least impressed with the government's performance on strengthening the pension system (41%), improving the healthcare system (45%) and ensuring an elected senate (47%). Some Canadians are more likely to have such a poor assessment of the government's performance than others:

• British Columbians (35%) are least likely to think the government got anything done on strengthening the pension system, while those living in Ontario (39%), Atlantic Canada (39%), Quebec (41%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (46%) and Alberta (51%) are more likely to think the government made progress on this file.
• Quebecers (34%) are the least likely to think that the government made progress on improving the healthcare system, while those living in British Columbia (40%), Ontario (49%), Alberta (51%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (52%), and Atlantic Canada (52%) are more likely to think the government got things done.
• With regards to an elected Senate, British Columbians were by far the least inclined (35%) to give the government a good assessment, while Canadians who live in Alberta (46%), Quebec (49%), Atlantic Canada (49%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (50%) and Ontario (50%) were more favourable in their assessment of the government's performance on this file.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between December 9 and 14, 2010, on behalf of Postmedia News and Global Television. For this survey, a sample of 1,044 adults from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/-3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what the results would have been had the entire population of adults in Canada been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice President
Ipsos Reid Public Affairs
(416) 324-2002
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid

Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

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