Here’s what the voters really want
Conservative voters might be a bit more liberal than expected and NDP and Green voters might be a little more conservative than their allegiances suggest, says an Angus Reid poll released Friday. Bianca Bharti looks at the poll and sees how voters align with their party’s policies on key election issues.
CARBON TAX
The Liberals’ carbon tax is not as popular as might be expected with nearly half of those polled wanting it cancelled. What’s perhaps most surprising is that more than a fifth (22 per cent) of Ndp-loyalists and Green voters (20 per cent) want it cancelled, too. But the Liberals and Conservatives fall in line with party policy, with 54 per cent of Liberal voters wanting to keep the tax while the majority, 89 per cent, of Conservative voters want it abolished.
PIPELINES
While most voters align with their party’s pipeline promises, Canadians overall are deeply divided when it comes to transporting one of the most lucrative natural resources we have. More than a third (35 per cent) of Canadians want new pipelines and capacity to be expanded and 35 per cent agree with the current approach to approve some while rejecting other pipelines. Those who don’t want pipelines built barely fall behind at 31 per cent.
INCOME TAX
The majority of the electorate prefers some sort of revamped taxation policy, with most poll respondents (38 per cent) preferring the Liberals’ plan to make the first $15,000 of income tax free, while 37 per cent prefer the NDP’S “super wealth tax” on households with assets exceeding $20 million. The majority of Conservative voters (52 per cent) prefers the Liberal policy, whereas only a third of Conservatives (32 per cent) prefer their party’s policy to reduce the tax rate from 15 per cent to 13.75 per cent for those in the lowest tax bracket.
FEDERAL DEFICIT
When it comes to balancing the books, 78 per cent of Conservative voters want the federal budget back in the positive within five years, even if that means higher taxes or cutting social programs. Liberal, NDP and Green voters, conversely, prefer running a deficit for the next four years in order to invest in job growth and social programs.
The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from Oct. 12 to 15 among a representative randomized sample of 2,100 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum. The poll is considered accurate 19 times out of 20 with a margin of error +/- two percentage points.