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Three in ten public opinion polls publicly released in Canada are about public policy. These polls are often sponsored by polling firms or the media to generate interest or by third parties looking to influence the policy narrative.
Public opinion is a key ingredient in public policy discussions and stories. It provides a number of particular inputs. Firstly, it provides a judgement on whether the policy is good. Secondly, it identifies barriers to implementing the policy. Thirdly, it identifies the conflict embedded in the policy choice.
On many public policy issues the public has become more liberal (permissive). For example, consider the trends on assisted dying, capital punishment, and marijuana.
Broad changes in public opinion are, however, only part of the story. The implementation of broad policy choices is often the easiest part of aligning public opinion and policy. Broad values and concerns are often in conflict and many issues reflect the tension between values and specific policies.
Governor General’s are generally not very newsworthy and tend to be front and centre for charity work and official functions. It is, therefore, noteworthy that one year into her appointment Governor General Julie Payette is the subject both of critical news coverage (see below) but that she also is now being tested in public opinion. A…
![Physical and Mental Health Assessments of Canadians [Ipsos/Global News Poll]](https://pollingguru.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/rawpixel-797129-unsplash-768x512.jpg){kind=tracking}
A recent Global News Poll conducted by Ipsos is a compelling look at how we think about our health. Most notably, there is a strong connection between our physical and mental health that would come as no surprise to health practitioners. Canadians are overall quite pessimistic about their physical health. Just 23% are in excellent…
The United States is Canada’s closest neighbour but our affection for the country has clearly taken a sharp decline since the Trump Presidency began. Presidents have an impact on how Canadians think about the U.S. When Bush was President, fewer Canadians held a favourable view of the U.S. compared with Obama. Nevertheless, the decline is…
Doug Ford threatened to overrule a court decision with the notwithstanding clause recently. The court decision invalidated a law that was to reduce the size of Toronto’s city council. Ford justifies his decision to overrule the courts on the basis he was elected by the people and the courts are not. Of course, this seemed…
Almost half of Canadians fully support (48%) a total ban on handgun ownership by anyone other than police/ security professionals according to a recent survey by Nanos Research for the CTV. Support for a handgun ban is even higher (67%) when we consider those who somewhat support. As would be expected, support is lower among…
Compared to the rest of the world, Canadians see the health care system as being accessible but under stress according to a recent Ipsos global survey. The 28 country survey benchmarks Canadian views with those in other states. Overall, 62% of Canadians rate the health care they receive in Canada as good. This is comparable…
The Angus Reid Institute recently released polling results on poverty in Canada which provide a startling view of poverty. Despite the fact that many of Canada’s poorest people are not able to complete online surveys, the Institute found that 16% of Canadians are struggling and another 11% are on the edge. Many Canadians are aware…
At the end of May, the Government of Canada announced plans to purchase the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion (for news coverage see). The decision by the federal government does not end the intergovernmental conflict. It also does not address indigenous concerns. The Liberal government’s environmental image is also tarnished since it is clearly allowing economics…
![49% Believe Health Care System Able to Meet Needs of Seniors [Ipsos]](https://pollingguru.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2018-PollingGuru-Question-of-Month-07-Ipsos-Health-Care-Confidence-768x576.png)
In a new poll released last week for the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), Ipsos found that almost half of Canadians are at least somewhat confident (49%) that the health care system will be able to meet the seniors’ care needs that Canadians will have (see exact question wording on figure). Clearly, however, few have a…
Not surprisingly Ontarians think that prostitution is harmful to women and girls. As such they would not support prostitution as a a career for their daughter, sister or family member. The poll, conducted by Ipsos for the London Abused Women’s Centre, highlights the fact that while Canadians were divided about legalizing prostitution (with a slight…
