Federal Budget 2003: After Healthcare, Where Should We Go?
Asked directly which of a list of eight spending options, besides healthcare, should be the top priority in the upcoming budget, the top choice is increased spending on child poverty (26%) followed by reducing personal income taxes (20%), reducing the Government of Canada's debt (15%), increased spending on social programs other than healthcare (14%), increased spending on Canada's military and national defence (12%), and increased spending on environmental issues (8%), while urban affairs (2%) and aboriginal issues (1%) round out the priority list.
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos-Reid/CTV/Globe and Mail poll conducted between February 11th and February 13th, 2003. The poll is based on a randomly selected sample of 1,001 adult Canadians. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 177 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to the 2001 Census data.
In a direct trade-off, a majority (54%) of Canadians believes that the Federal Liberal government has cut taxes enough and should do no more, focusing instead on new spending for other programs such as social programs and national defence. In contrast, four in ten (42%) say that the government should continue to cut taxes even if it means limiting new spending on such things as social and national defence programs.
- Regionally, Quebecers (50%) are more likely than residents of Ontario (39%), Atlantic Canada (38%) and British Columbia (36%) and to say they want continued tax cuts. Support for new spending is highest in British Columbia (60%) and Atlantic Canada (58%) followed by Ontario (56%), Saskatchewan/Manitoba (56%), Alberta (52%) and finally Quebec (48%).
- Canadians in middle income households (59%) are more likely than their counterparts in upper income households (51%) to opt for increased social spending instead of continued tax cuts.
With increased healthcare spending, as a result of the new healthcare funding agreement between the Federal and Provincial governments, already a known component of the upcoming budget, what are Canadians' priorities beyond healthcare? Asked directly which of a list of eight spending options, besides healthcare, should be the top priority in the upcoming budget, the top choice is increased spending on child poverty (26%) followed by reducing personal income taxes (20%), reducing the Government of Canada's debt (15%), increased spending on social programs other than healthcare (14%), increased spending on Canada's military and national defence (12%), increased spending on environmental issues (8%), while urban affairs (2%) and aboriginal issues (1%) round out the priority list.
- Increased spending on child poverty is more likely chosen by residents of Quebec (33%), and Atlantic Canada (33%), followed by Ontario (25%), British Columbia (23%), Saskatchewan/Manitoba (15%) and Alberta (13%). In addition, women (32%) are more likely than men (19%) to chose this option, while Canadians in lower income households (35%) are more likely than those in middle (23%) or upper (21%) income households to make this selection.
- Reducing personal income taxes is more likely to be the choice of Alberta (27%) and Quebec (25%) compared to British Columbia (18%), Atlantic Canada (18%), Ontario (17%) and Saskatchewan/Manitoba (16%).
- Reducing the federal debt is more likely to be the choice of those in British Columbia (19%) and Alberta (19%), followed by Ontario (15%), Saskatchewan/Manitoba (13%), Atlantic Canada (13%) and Quebec (10%). Canadians in upper income households (19%) are more likely than their counterparts in middle (13%) or lower (11%) income households to make this choice.
- Women (16%) are more likely than men (11%) to select increased spending on social programs, other than healthcare as the option that the federal government should give top priority to.
- Quebecers (3%) are the least likely to say that increased spending on the military and national defence should be the top priority for the federal government. Men (16% versus 9% of men) and older (16% versus 9% of middle aged) Canadians also more likely to make this choice.
- Increased spending on the environment is more likely to be selected by residents in Saskatchewan/Manitoba (14%) than by those in Atlantic Canada (4%). As well younger (12%) Canadians are more likely to make this choice than are older (6%) Canadians.
- Men (4% versus 1% of women) are more likely to chose increased spending on urban affairs as the option that should be top priority for the federal government.
- Residents of Saskatchewan/Manitoba (4%) are more likely than are those in Quebec (0%) or British Columbia (0%) to say that aboriginal affairs should be the top priority for the federal government.
Further, through a series of direct paired trade-off's, the ranking is almost identical:
- Increased spending on child poverty (72%);
- Reducing personal income taxes (60%);
- Increased spending on social programs (59%);
- Reducing the federal government's debt (57%);
- Increased spending on environmental issues such as the cost of implementing the Kyoto Accord (45%);
- Increased spending on Canada's military and national defence (43%);
- Increased spending on urban affairs for Canada's cities (37%);
- Increased spending on aboriginal affairs (18%).
To view the release and the detailed tables, please open the attached PDF files.
-30-
For more information on this news release, please contact:
Darrell Bricker
President and COO
Ipsos-Reid Public Affairs
(416) 324-2900