Halfway through the grueling federal election campaign, party leaders would be wise to keep a laser focus on the economy: The latest polling numbers suggest widespread angst over jobs, taxes and living standards.
Close to half of Canadians rank the broad economy as the most important issue facing the country today. And if more specific concerns such as jobs, public spending, taxes and income inequality are included, it’s top of mind for most voters across the country, according to an Internet survey released Monday by the Vancouver-based Angus Reid Institute.
Health care comes in second, well ahead of the environment and education. Only 8% of respondents place security or terrorism as one of their top two concerns, slightly ahead of ethics and accountability. The Senate barely makes the radar screen and national unity ranks last everywhere but Quebec.
The poll confirms anecdotal evidence that Canadians are feeling increasingly gloomy about their prospects in the wake of the resource slump, which helped drive the economy into a technical recession in the first half of the year. Slightly more than one-third of poll respondents say their standard of living has deteriorated in the past year, while a mere 8% say it has improved. And 25% think it will get worse over the next year, more than double the number of optimists who expect things to improve.
This, in turn, has undercut some of Conservative Leader Stephen Harper’s strongest selling points: his government’s steady hand on the tiller, prudent fiscal management and the risks of worse damage if voters hand the keys to either of his rivals, NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair or Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau.
The poll results underscore the problems faced by the Conservatives in their bid for another majority, showing Mulcair ahead of Harper when it comes to whom people trust on economic issues.
Even on the question of whether the three leaders would inspire confidence among foreign and domestic investors – long a weak spot for the NDP and its commitment to higher corporate and personal taxes for the wealthy – Mulcair fares reasonably well.
But the NDP doesn’t face clear sailing to an historic victory. For one thing, the Conservatives have an unshakeable base of support. Among committed Tory voters across Canada, 89% trust Harper on the economy. Of those who say they intend to vote NDP, 82% trust Mulcair to get things right, while Trudeau wins the trust of 79% of people who are leaning Liberal.
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