Nine in Ten (88%) Say New Taxes Unnecessary for Healthcare -- Just Need to Spend Current Healthcare Money More Efficiently
Two-thirds (65%) of Canadians indicate agreement with Health Commissioner Roy Romanow that Canada does not need either user fees or more private money in the healthcare system.
Six in ten (61%) say that the federal government should implement the Romanow Commission's recommendations even if it means that their taxes go up a bit, while a similar number (58%) believe that the federal government will implement most of the Romanow Commission's recommendations over the next couple of years.
These are the findings of an Ipsos-Reid/CTV/Globe and Mail poll conducted between November 20th and November 22nd, 2002. The poll is based on a randomly selected sample of 1,002 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.
Nine in ten (88%) Canadians indicate that we would not have to raise taxes to pay for improving healthcare if we just did a better job of spending the money that's already being spent now more efficiently. In fact, two-thirds (65%) strongly agree with this proposition.
- This view is consistent across all regional and demographic subgroups.
Two-thirds (65%) of Canadians indicate agreement with Health Commissioner Roy Romanow, that Canada does not need either user fees or more private money in the healthcare system. Three in ten (32%) do not share Mr. Romanow's view.
- Regionally, residents of Atlantic Canada (72%) are the most likely to express agreement with this view, followed by those in Alberta (69%), Ontario (69%), Saskatchewan/Manitoba (67%), Quebec (61%) and British Columbia (55%).
- There are no statistical differences in the views of different age, gender, education or household income groups.
Six in ten (61%) say that the federal government should implement the Romanow Commission's recommendations even if it means that their taxes go up a bit. However, the strength of this view is stronger in the middle range of agreement with more Canadians that somewhat agree (38%) than who strongly agree (23%).
- Regionally, those in Atlantic Canada (65%), Ontario (65%), Saskatchewan/Manitoba (65%) and British Columbia (63%) are slightly more likely to agree with this view than are those in Quebec (55%) or Alberta (54%).
- Canadians in middle (65%) and upper (64%) income households are more likely to agree with this position than are those in lower (57%) income households.
- Among decided voters, agreement is strongest among supporters of the NDP (76%) and Green Party (73%) followed by Conservatives (65%) and Liberals (64%), and is lowest among supporters of the Bloc Quebecois (51%), and the Canadian Alliance (51%).
A similar number (58%) believe that the federal government will implement most of the Romanow Commission's recommendations over the next couple of years. However, once again, the strength of this viewpoint lies in the middle range with a plurality (42%) who indicate they somewhat agree compared to 16% who strongly agree with this idea. In total, one-third (34%) disagree with this outlook.
- Regionally, Quebec residents (71%) are the most likely to agree with this proposal. This compares to the views of those in British Columbia (56%), Atlantic Canada (53%), Alberta (53%), Ontario (53%) and Saskatchewan/Manitoba (53%).
- Men (61%) are more likely than women (55%) to express agreement with this view.
- Canadians in middle income households (61%) are more likely than those in upper income households (55%) to agree with this view.
- Supporters of the Bloc (74%) and the Liberals (65%) are more likely than supporters of the NDP (56%), the Green Party (49%), the CA (47%) or the PCs (44%) to agree with this outlook.
And finally, of decided Liberal supporters, four in ten (41%) indicate that they will not vote for the party in the next federal election if the federal government does not implement the Romanow Commission's recommendations.
To view the release and tables, please open the attached PDF files.
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For more information on this news release, please contact:
Darrell Bricker
President and COO
Ipsos-Reid Public Affairs
(416) 324-2900
