Federal government research has found that Canadians are dissatisfied with how the government is managing the economy and cost-of-living challenges.
A report disclosed on July 20, “Continuous Qualitative Data Collection of Canadians’ Views,” found that “almost all” of those polled “had a negative opinion regarding the federal government’s management of the economy in recent years,” according to Blacklock’s Reporter in an article on July 21.
The Privy Council research, which was drawn from federal focus groups across the country under a $2.4 million contract with The Strategic Counsel, found that Canadians are not happy.
“Several felt that issues related to the rising cost of living, a lack of affordable housing, and low wages had been growing for many years and that the Government of Canada should have been better prepared to assist Canadians with these challenges,” said the report.
“Most thought that the Government of Canada was on the wrong track when it came to alleviating the financial pressures currently impacting Canadian households.”
The report noted that, among those who believed the federal government was on the wrong track, “it was widely felt that recent actions related to health worker shortages, housing affordability, and the rising cost of living had been insufficient towards addressing these issues and that far more needed to be done to assist those struggling financially.”
Cost of Living, Inflation
The federal polling follows remarks by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland to the House of Commons on May 8 saying that opposition MPs complained too much about the cost of living.
“What Canadians are desperate about is the gloom and doom and the talking down of Canada and the Canadian economy that they are relentlessly hearing from the grouchy members opposite,” said Freeland. “The reality is that Canada is a fantastic country and Canada is doing really well.”
