Canadians Split on Best Direction for Canada as
Competing Political Narratives Divide Country

Toronto, ON - Canadians are dead split on the best direction for Canada in the years ahead, according to a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Postmedia News and Global Television. Two competing narratives, one focused on fiscal restraint and the other focused on investing in social programs, have split the country down the middle.

Fully one half (50%) of Canadians believe that the best direction for Canada in the next couple of years is to focus on `policies centred on the economy and fiscal management, including reducing government services, reducing the deficit, debt repayment and personal or corporate tax cuts to try and stimulate economic growth'.

The other half (50%) of Canadians are of the opinion that Ottawa should enact `policies centred on investing more money in social programs like healthcare and infrastructure, protecting the environment, foreign aid, and stimulating the economy through government spending'.

The `fiscal management' direction is disproportionately supported by Canadians living in Atlantic Canada (57%) and Saskatchewan and Manitoba (56%), and less so by those living in British Columbia (49%) and Quebec (46%). The `investing in social programs' direction is disproportionately supported by those living in Quebec (54%), and less so by those in Saskatchewan and Manitoba (44%) as well as Atlantic Canada (43%). Interestingly Albertans and Ontarians are split right down the middle - 50/50.

Conservative Party supporters are much more likely to favour the fiscal management direction (66%), while those who support the Bloc (45%), Liberal (43%), Green (40%) and NDP (35%) are much less likely to favour this direction. Conversely, NDP supporters are most inclined to favour the social program policy direction (65%), followed by supporters of the Green Party (60%), Liberal Party (57%) and Bloc (55%), effectively splitting support for these policies among these four parties, while Conservative supporters are much less likely (34%) to support this direction.

In the next federal election, it is likely that similar competing narratives and priorities will be presented to Canadians by the various parties. The following is a list of policy areas and the party that Canadians believe will do the best job at managing these issues:

• When it comes to managing the economy, four in ten (40%) believe that the Conservative Party is best suited to manage this issue, while fewer believe the Liberal Party (28%), NDP (18%), Bloc (8%) or Green Party (6%) would best manage the economy.
• Similarly, the Conservatives (40%) are favoured on the issue of managing the finances of the country , while fewer think the Liberals (29%), NDP (18%), Bloc (7%) or Green Party (6%) would do the best job managing the country's finances.
• Regarding policies to protect the environment , the Green Party (45%) has a commanding lead. Among the major parties, the Conservatives (19%) lead the NDP (17%), Liberals (14%) and Bloc Quebecois (6%).
• One in three (35%) Canadians believe that the Conservatives are best suited to finding the right balance between taxation and government services , while fewer believe the Liberals (28%), NDP (23%), Bloc (7%) and Green Party (7%) would be best at finding the right balance between the two.
• Ensuring the sustainability of the healthcare system is an issue that has Canadians deeply divided. While nearly one in three (31%) believe the Conservatives are best able to manage this issue, the NDP (28%) and Liberals (25%) are close behind. Fewer than one in ten believe the Bloc (9%) or Green Party (7%) are best suited to deal with the healthcare system.
• Canadians believe that the NDP (31%) and the Conservatives (30%) are best able to provide the social/government services important to you and your family, while one quarter (24%) think that the Liberal Party is best able to provide Canadians with social services and programs. Just one in ten believe the Bloc (8%) and Green Party (7%) are best able to provide these services.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between October 29 and November 1, 2010, on behalf of Postmedia News and Global Television. For this survey, a sample of 1,046 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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