According to polling conducted by Ipsos exclusively for Global News, Canadians are primarily looking for help paying their bills in the 2024 federal budget, rather than investments in the military or clean energy transitions. The top priority for those surveyed was support with the rising cost of living, with women and gen X respondents being more likely to prioritize this issue than men or other generations. Canadians are focused on pocketbook issues such as taxes, affordability, and household finances, which are all tied to the amount of money Canadians have available due to the increasing cost of living.
Investments in healthcare are also a significant priority for Canadians, with 38 percent of respondents ranking it as important. However, when asked about a hypothetical increase in the GST to fund services like pharmacare, only five percent of those surveyed saw it as a priority. Instead, more Canadians are hoping for a reduced tax burden from the government, with many expressing a desire for a cut to personal tax rates, a freeze on the federal carbon price, or reductions in federal spending and deficits. The slowing economy and rising debt costs are leaving the federal government with little fiscal wiggle room heading into the 2024 budget.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Liberal MPs have been discussing housing market initiatives, affordability, and homebuilding efforts in the lead-up to the budget. Some respondents expressed a desire for measures to cool the housing market, funding for new home construction, or an increase in the GST rebate for homebuyers. Other priorities such as increasing defence spending, transitioning to clean energy, lowering carbon footprints, supporting struggling businesses, and freezing hiring in the federal public service ranked lower on Canadians’ lists of budget priorities.
The Ipsos poll was conducted between March 15 and 18, 2024, with a sample of 1,000 Canadians aged 18 and older. Quotas and weighting were used to ensure that the sample reflected the Canadian population according to census parameters. The credibility interval of the poll is ±3.8 percentage points, meaning that the results are accurate to within this margin of error 19 times out of 20. Overall, Canadians are looking for support with the rising cost of living, tax relief, and healthcare investments in the upcoming federal budget, while other priorities like defence spending and clean energy transitions are lower on their list of concerns.
