A new MEI-Ipsos poll released today shows two in every three Canadians think the amount they pay in income taxes is too high, and fewer than one in four Canadians believe the federal government spends on the right priorities. The poll also found that two in three Canadians believe that increased government spending contributed to inflation. The poll also revealed that the majority of Canadians are more likely to be against carbon pricing (45 per cent) than for it (41 percent). The Atlantic provinces are most strongly opposed (68 per cent) to carbon taxes.
“Not only do Canadians find that the Trudeau government spends too much, but they also find that it spends unwisely,” explains Renaud Brossard, senior director of communications at the MEI. “This seems to indicate a disconnect between the Department of Finance and the people whose money is entrusted in its care.”
According to the poll, 55 per cent of Canadians think the federal government’s spending is too high. This perception is particularly strong among Quebecers, 64 per cent of whom consider federal spending too high.
The poll found that 65 per cent of Canadians believe that the growth in government spending over the past three years has contributed to higher inflation levels.
The poll also found that only one in four Canadians believe that the federal government is effectively directing their tax money toward the most critical issues facing the country today.
Two in three respondents say their tax burden is too high.
“The message Canadians are sending Ottawa is unequivocal,” says Mr. Brossard. “They are asking Ottawa to cut its spending, review its priorities, and reduce their tax burden.”
Other highlights in the poll found revealed that:
The poll was conducted among a representative sample of 1,020 Canadians aged 18 years and over between June 29 and July 3, 2023. The results are accurate to within plus or minus 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
The results of the MEI-Ipsos poll are here.
The MEI is an independent public policy think tank with offices in Montreal and Calgary. Through its publications, media appearances, and advisory services to policy-makers, the MEI stimulates public policy debate and reforms based on sound economics and entrepreneurship.
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