Majority of Canadians say Ottawa overspends, feel overtaxed (especially Quebecers): poll

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A majority of Canadians consider themselves overtaxed by a federal government that spends too much and unwisely. And Quebecers are the ones who most feel the Trudeau government is “investing” too much.

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An Ipsos-MEI poll published on Thursday shows that 63% of Canadians think the federal government’s spending is either “too high” or “much too high,” which is a sharp increase compared to a similar poll ran by Ipsos last year. They also feel the government isn’t transparent or accountable enough for the spending spree.

In Quebec, 74% said the Trudeau government spends too much, which is significantly more than those who said so in Western Canada (64%), Ontario (56%) and Atlantic Canada (55%).

“Quebecers, I think, are reflecting the fact that they feel they aren’t getting the value from all those taxes they pay,” said Sean Simpson, senior vice-president at Ipsos.

He points out the fact that Quebec being one of the most heavily taxed jurisdictions in the world could influence the results.

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Also, some programs recently adopted by the federal Liberals are already in place in Quebec. For instance, Canada’s $40-billion child-care program aimed at providing an average of $10-a-day child care across the country doesn’t apply to Quebec, which already offers the service.

The survey found that only 18% of the 1,038 adult Canadians surveyed believe the federal government is effectively allocating funds to address the most important issues. According to Simpson, the “most important issues” among Canadians are health care, housing and affordability.

“Canadians have been watching federal government spending grow and grow for years, with no apparent effect on services,” said Renaud Brossard, vice president of communications at the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI), which did the poll with Ipsos.

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“It’s time for the Trudeau government to put the brakes on spending and get its fiscal house in order, as the population is clearly demanding,” said Brossard.

For months, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland have said that “the government is fighting for Canadians everyday” and that their “economic plan is building an economy that works for everyone”.

But the Ipsos numbers align with those in a recent Postmedia-Léger poll that found a majority of young Canadians (gen Z and millennials) aren’t big fans of plans for more government spending and higher carbon taxes.

Last week, a different poll released by the Fraser Institute reported that 70% of respondents believed that some Canadians don’t pay their fair share of taxes, but only 35% thought that high-income earners should pay more in taxes.

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According to the Ipsos-MEI survey, 77% of Canadians think the taxes they pay are too high for the services they receive.

“There is a disconnect between the Canadians say their priorities are and what they see the government focused on,” Simpson said.

And while 72% of respondents consider the amount they pay in income tax to be too high, Canadians remain more divided over the federal carbon tax. Forty-eight per cent oppose the tax while 39% support it.

The survey also found that Canadians are skeptical that the new capital gains tax hike the Liberals announced in their budget this year will impact only the “wealthiest Canadians,” as Freeland has insisted.

Nearly three out of four Canadians believe that the capital gains tax hike will affect the middle class. In addition, 60% of respondents think it will have a negative impact on the Canadian economy.

“The population feels increasingly overtaxed, and the capital gains tax hike seems to be feeding into this perception,” said Brossard. “Canadians’ eyes are open, and they recognize that this tax hike will not just be levied on the ultra-wealthy, but will also reduce middle-class prosperity.”

The online poll was conducted among 1,038 Canadians over 18 years old between July 10 and 14. The results are considered accurate to within plus or minus 3.7 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

National Post

atrepanier@postmedia.com

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