Abacus Briefing: Free trade with China?
This Saturday, John Ivison reported that Prime Minister Trudeau was headed in China in December to open talks about a free trade agreement. How do Canadians feel about China and a possible free trade agreement? In January 2016, we explored public opinion on the Canada-China relationship for Teck Resources. We found that Canadians recognize that China has become one
Liberal slippage halts with an uptick on some key indicators
By Bruce Anderson & David Coletto Last month we saw a four-point slip in Liberal Party support; in our latest survey the Liberals have stabilized and would win 40% support today. The Conservatives are at 32%. Both these numbers are identical to the results last election Day in 2015. In the three seat richest provinces,
Political Risk & Climate Action
For Canadian politicians, it’s riskier to ignore climate change than it is to propose solutions. By Bruce Anderson Twenty years ago, when the world’s leaders were debating the Kyoto Accord, a case could be made that politicians who chose to be early champions of action to reduce emissions were running a certain amount of political
Worth a Look – November 8, 2017
Already a week into November. Time flies eh? In this week’s edition of Worth a Look we share some great reads on demand for the new iPhone X, what neuroscience says about only children, the latest numbers coming stateside on how Americans feel about President Trump, and a reminder of the poll we released on Sunday looking
Canadian Political Leaders: The midpoint reset
By Bruce Anderson & David Coletto Halfway between the 2015 and the 2019 elections and with two new opposition party leaders, it’s a useful moment to take stock of what people know and perceive about the three individuals leading Canada’s largest political parties. Here are the highlights: Mr. Trudeau is obviously better known than his
Confidence in Canadian Polling
By Bruce Anderson & David Coletto In a considerable number of recent voting experiences, in Canada and in other jurisdictions, questions have been raised about the accuracy of polls, and the professionalism of pollsters. In our latest nationwide study, we decided to take a look at confidence in polling has held up, asking questions about
Sexual Harassment of Women is Widespread in Canada
By Bruce Anderson There are almost 15 million adult women in Canada and according to our latest survey, almost 8 million of them (53%) have experienced unwanted sexual pressure. The prevalence of this experience is highest among women under 45. Just over one in ten Canadians says sexual harassment is “really quite common” in theirCanadian Politics Update: A more competitive political landscape
By Bruce Anderson & David Coletto Over the late summer, Canada’s political situation became more competitive, as Liberal Party support dipped, and the Conservatives saw gains. Today, an election would see 39% vote Liberal, 35% Conservative and 15% NDP. The biggest regional races show a dead heat in Ontario, a narrowing Liberal lead in BC,
Universities, Research & Canadian Public Opinion
By Bruce Anderson Commissioned by Universities Canada, Abacus undertook a nationwide survey looking at how Canadians feel about the role of universities today and in the future. The highlights of this study are detailed below. The large majority (78%) of Canadians express a positive overall feeling towards universities, with only 3% expressing a negative view.
Public Attitudes on Oil, Pipelines, Climate, and Change
By Bruce Anderson & David Coletto We’ve been tracking opinion about oil, energy, pipelines and climate change for several years and late this summer returned to that subject in a nationwide study. Here are the highlights of our findings: Canadians are becoming more convinced that oil will experience a decline in demand in the next
