Despite Having Majority Government,
Canadians Perceive Less is Getting Done in Ottawa,
Minority (46%) Believes Majority Government Working Well

Toronto, ON - Despite having a majority government in Ottawa, Canadians perceive that less is being accomplished on key government files this year than in the minority government situation of last year, according to a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Postmedia News and Global Television. In every area studied, with the exception of healthcare, fewer Canadians believe things were accomplished this year than last year.

In fact, fewer than half (46%) `agree' (8% strongly/38% somewhat) that `the majority government in Ottawa is working well', while a slim majority (54%) `disagrees' (22% strongly/32% somewhat) that the majority government is working well. However, worth noting is that the proportion that thinks the government is working well is higher than the proportion of the popular vote the Conservatives received in the Federal Election held in May.

Below are the areas where at least a majority believe the government is getting things done:

• Afghanistan: 66% (13% a lot/53% some), down 5 points
• Bolstering the military: 66% (10% a lot/56% some), down 7 points
• Crime: 65% (11% a lot/54% some), down 2 points
• Enhancing Canada's reputation in the world: 60% (13% a lot/47% some), down 4 points
• Job creation: 60% (5% a lot/55% some), down 3 points
• Veteran's Affairs: 54% (6% a lot/48% some), down 2 points

But Canadians aren't quite as impressed with what has been accomplished in these following areas, with only a minority believing anything has been accomplished:

• Democratic reform in the House of Commons and Senate: 48% (4% a lot/44% some), unchanged
• Helping the elderly: 48% (4% a lot/44% some), down 1 point
• Improving the healthcare system: 47% (5% a lot/43% some), up 2 points
• Human smuggling: 47% (5% a lot/43% some), down 1 point
• An elected Senate: 45% (4% a lot/42% some), down 2 points
• Climate change: 41% (4% a lot/37% some), down 8 points
• Strengthening the pension system: 39% (4% a lot/35% some), down 2 points

The Top 3...

Focusing on the top three issues reveals that not all Canadians are equally likely to believe that anything got done:

• While two in three (66%) believe that the government got things done on the Afghanistan file, residents of Ontario (74%) were the most likely to think so, followed by those living in Alberta (73%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (71%), Atlantic Canada (70%), and British Columbia (66%). Fewer than half (48%) of Quebecers believe that Ottawa accomplished anything relating to Afghanistan.
• Two in three (66%) also believe that Ottawa got things done when it comes to bolstering the military, with Atlantic Canadians (79%) being most likely to think so, followed by those living in Alberta (76%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (75%), Ontario (67%), British Columbia (66%) and Quebec (54%).
• Two in three (65%) believe that Ottawa is getting things done on the crime portfolio. Albertans (71%) are most likely to say so, followed by Atlantic Canadians (70%), Ontarians (68%) British Columbians (65%), residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (63%) and Quebec (56%).

The Bottom 3...

There isn't unanimity when it comes to the files with which Canadians were least likely to say anything got accomplished:

• Just four in ten (39%) believe anything got accomplished to strengthen the pension system. A majority of those in Saskatchewan and Manitoba (55%) believe so, but only a minority of Ontarians (43%), British Columbians (37%), Albertans (36%), Atlantic Canadians (36%), and Quebecers (33%) think so.
• Four in ten (41%) believe anything got accomplished on climate change, but Canadians from different parts of the country are not at all in agreement. A majority of those in Saskatchewan and Manitoba (58%) as well as Alberta (54%) believe that things got accomplished on this file, while only a minority of Atlantic Canadians (47%), Ontarians (43%), British Columbians (37%) and Quebecers (28%) believe the same.
• Fewer than half (45%) believe that anything got done to further the idea of an elected Senate. At least half of Atlantic Canadians (55%), Albertans (51%) and residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (50%) think something got accomplished, but fewer Ontarians (47%), Quebecers (40%) and British Columbians (39%) think anything got done.

Politics a Noble Calling?

Four in ten (40%) Canadians `agree' (7% strongly/33% somewhat) that they would encourage any family member to run for political office because it is a noble calling'. While this proportion is up 6 points from last year, most still `disagree' (24% strongly/36% somewhat) with this premise.

One in three (31%) `agree' (8% strongly/22% somewhat) that they've `tuned out any kind of political activity, including voting', down 2 points since last year. However, a strong majority (69%) `disagrees' (39% strongly/30% somewhat), suggesting they're still paying attention.

With numerous Federal Elections since 2004, Canada has had its first majority government in 7 years. Reflecting on this reality, most (72%) `agree' (39% strongly/33% somewhat) that they're `glad that we won't have another Federal Election for a few years'. Just three in ten (28%) `disagree' (12% strongly/16% somewhat) with this notion.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between December 14 and 19, 2011, on behalf of Postmedia News and Global Television. For this survey, a sample of 1,021 Canadians who season from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to 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:

Darrell Bricker, PhD
CEO
Ipsos Reid, Public Affairs
416.324.2001
[email protected]

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