There is no clear leader on two matters: housing, homelessness and poverty, and transportation projects.
Vancouver, BC [September 15, 2021] – The incumbent prime minister is the first choice of Canadians to handle issues such as health care and the COVID-19 pandemic, while the leader of the official opposition is preferred for financial and public safety concerns, a new Research Co. poll has found.
The online survey of a representative national sample asked Canadians to select which one of the five federal party leaders who are running nationwide campaigns is the best person to manage 16 different issues.
More than a third of Canadians (36%) think Prime Minister and Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau is better suited to handle the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by Official Opposition and Conservative Party leader Erin O’Toole with 22%, New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh with 12%, People’s Party leader Maxime Bernier with 6% and Green Party leader Annamie Paul with 2%.
More than three-in-ten Canadians also pick Trudeau to manage foreign affairs (31%), child care (also 31%) and regulations related to firearms (also 31%).
“Earlier in the campaign, Erin O’Toole was tied with Justin Trudeau on the foreign affairs file,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “In the final week before votes are cast, Trudeau has a five-point lead on this particular issue.”
The Liberal leader is also ahead of all rivals on being the best person to handle immigration (29%), health care (also 29%), the environment (28%), Indigenous issues and reconciliation (27%), seniors care (26%), and racism and discrimination (also 26%).
One third of Canadians (33%) believe O’Toole would be the best leader to manage the economy and jobs, followed by Trudeau with 29%, Singh with 15%, Bernier with 4% and Paul with 2%.
The Conservative leader is in first place on three other issues: crime and public safety (29%), accountability and leadership (27%), and energy and pipelines (also 27%).
There is a tie on two specific concerns. Across the country, 25% of Canadians select either Trudeau or Singh as the best leaders to manage housing, homelessness and poverty. When asked about transportation projects, equal proportions of respondents pick Trudeau and O’Toole (25% each).
Paul gets her best rating on the environment (14%), while Bernier scores highest on the COVID-19 pandemic (6%).
In a survey released by Research Co. this week, health care, the economy and jobs, housing homelessness and poverty, and the environment were identified as the most important issues facing Canada.
Methodology:
Results are based on an online study conducted from September 11 to September 13, 2021, among 1,000 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Find our data tables here and download the press release here.
For more information on this poll, please contact:
Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.
778.929.0490