COVID-19 (38%), Healthcare (32%), the Economy (26%), and Affordability (22%) Top Issues in Next Election
Toronto, ON, April 18, 2021 – COVID-19 (38%), healthcare (32%), the economy (26%) and affordability/cost of living (22%) are atop the list of issues that Canadians say are most important in determining how they will vote during the next election, according to a new Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Global News. Not far behind are issues relating to housing (affordability and availability) (17%), taxation (17%), climate change (17%), unemployment and jobs (15%), poverty and social inequality (14%), government deficit/debt (13%) and senior’s issues/aging population (9%).
Canadians were presented with a list of 29 possible priority issue areas and asked to identify the three which will drive their personal vote choice. The full list of issues, and the proportion of Canadians who selected each as being among their top-three issues, is below.
Top Issues Driving Vote Choice: All Canadians
|
Issue |
% Top Three |
|
COVID-19 |
38% |
|
Healthcare |
32% |
|
The economy |
26% |
|
Affordability and cost of living |
22% |
|
Housing (i.e. affordability, availability) |
17% |
|
Taxes |
17% |
|
Climate change |
17% |
|
Unemployment and jobs |
15% |
|
Poverty and social inequality |
14% |
|
Government deficit and debt |
13% |
|
Senior’s issues/aging population |
9% |
|
Immigration |
8% |
|
Corruption and ethics in government |
8% |
|
Education |
8% |
|
Crime and violence |
7% |
|
Racism/discrimination |
7% |
|
Energy, including pipelines, gas prices |
6% |
|
Gun control |
6% |
|
Interest rates/inflation |
4% |
|
Infrastructure (public transit, bridges, roads) |
4% |
|
Women’s issues |
4% |
|
Abortion |
3% |
|
Indigenous issues involving First Nations and Native Peoples |
3% |
|
Defence, the armed forces |
2% |
|
Relations with other countries, trade |
2% |
|
Relations across provinces |
2% |
|
New technology |
2% |
|
Drug abuse |
2% |
|
Extremism/terrorism |
1% |
The list is a little bit different depending on which segment of the electorate is responding. Liberal voters prioritize COVID-19 and are more likely to think climate change is a top issue. Conservatives prioritize economy and taxation more than supporters of other parties. Healthcare is the top issue among NDP voters, while Bloc voters are laser focused on COVID-19 and housing affordability and availability. Supporters of the Green party are concerned about affordability, climate change, and healthcare.
The battle is already afoot for the 12% of Canadians who say they are undecided. COVID-19 (45%) and healthcare (39%) are their top issues. Rounding out the top-five issues for undecided voters are affordability issues (27%), housing affordability and availability specifically (19%), and the economy (16%).
Top Issues Driving Vote Choice: By Intended Vote
|
|
Libs |
Cons |
NDP |
BQ |
Green |
Undecided |
|
COVID-19 |
42% |
33% |
34% |
55% |
14% |
45% |
|
Healthcare |
37% |
23% |
37% |
18% |
42% |
39% |
|
The economy |
28% |
41% |
9% |
20% |
21% |
16% |
|
Affordability and cost of living |
21% |
17% |
20% |
6% |
50% |
27% |
|
Housing (i.e. affordability, availability) |
12% |
10% |
23% |
48% |
8% |
19% |
|
Taxes |
12% |
29% |
8% |
6% |
20% |
10% |
|
Climate change |
25% |
4% |
25% |
14% |
34% |
14% |
|
Unemployment and jobs |
18% |
17% |
10% |
6% |
9% |
16% |
The top issues of the campaign also differ significantly by gender and by age segment. Men and those aged 35-54 place a higher degree of importance on COVID-19, while women and Boomers are more likely to cite healthcare more generally as a top priority. Concerns about the economy prevail among men and those aged 35-54, while women are more likely than men to say that affordability is an issue which drives their vote.
Concern about unemployment and jobs is higher among those aged 18-34 and 35-54, but the opposite is true when it comes to climate change. Those aged 18-34 are least likely to mention it as being among their top issue, while Boomers are most likely to say this is the case.
Top Issues Driving Vote Choice: By Age and Gender
|
|
Male |
Female |
18-34 |
35-54 |
55+ |
|
COVID-19 |
42% |
34% |
33% |
43% |
36% |
|
Healthcare |
26% |
38% |
30% |
25% |
41% |
|
The economy |
28% |
24% |
21% |
31% |
27% |
|
Affordability and cost of living |
18% |
25% |
23% |
25% |
18% |
|
Housing (i.e. affordability, availability) |
17% |
18% |
18% |
20% |
14% |
|
Taxes |
21% |
13% |
17% |
18% |
16% |
|
Climate change |
17% |
17% |
13% |
16% |
20% |
|
Unemployment and jobs |
16% |
15% |
19% |
18% |
10% |
Who is Best to Lead on Most-Important Issues?
The key to winning an election is to lead on the big issues. On the two most important issues, the Liberals have a 23-point lead over the Conservatives on COVID-19, and a 19-point lead over the NDP on healthcare. For voters who are more aligned with a progressive agenda the Liberal Party is their preferred choice. This is a significant problem for the NDP and Greens who trail the LPC significantly on every progressive issue, including the marquee issue for the Green Party: climate change. Conversely, the Conservatives are the best choice for voters concerned about economic issues, especially taxation and jobs.
% of Canadians who Believe Party is Best to Deal with Each Issue
(among those who identify the issue as a priority)
|
|
Libs |
Cons |
NDP |
BQ |
Green |
Other |
None – they’re all the same |
|
COVID-19 |
41% |
18% |
9% |
9% |
2% |
1% |
20% |
|
Healthcare |
36% |
14% |
17% |
3% |
2% |
3% |
24% |
|
The economy |
32% |
39% |
5% |
4% |
2% |
1% |
17% |
|
Affordability and cost of living |
35% |
14% |
16% |
<1% |
4% |
1% |
29% |
|
Housing (i.e. affordability, availability) |
17% |
10% |
18% |
21% |
2% |
4% |
28% |
|
Taxes |
18% |
45% |
5% |
5% |
4% |
2% |
21% |
|
Climate change |
39% |
4% |
13% |
<1% |
32% |
<1% |
11% |
|
Unemployment and jobs |
25% |
26% |
7% |
3% |
3% |
1% |
35% |
About the Study
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between April 7-9, 2021, on behalf of Global News. For this survey, a sample of 1,001 Canadians aged 18+ was interviewed online. Quotas and weighting were employed to ensure that the sample’s composition reflects that of the Canadian population according to census parameters. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within ± 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Canadians aged 18+ been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. 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
CEO, Ipsos Global Public Affairs
+1 416 324 2001
[email protected]
About Ipsos
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Our passionately curious research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. We serve more than 5000 clients across the world with 75 business solutions.
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