Posthaste: Canadians are concerned about federal deficit, believe Ottawa is spending 'too much'
Most Canadians are worried about the federal deficit and feel that government spending is too high as Ottawa prepares to table its budget on Tuesday, according to new data from the Angus Reid Institute.
The survey, which interviewed 1,602 adults from March 20-22, found that 59 per cent believe that the federal government is spending “too much.”
Conservative (87 per cent) and Bloc Québécois (76 per cent) supporters are more likely to share this belief, while NDP (37 per cent) and Liberal (30 per cent) supporters are less likely.
The desire for spending among Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s previous Liberal supporters has also decreased considerably in the post-COVID economy. Those who voted for the Liberals in 2021 and have since changed their support to another party are much more likely to think that government spending is too high (47 per cent) compared with those who still support the party (29 per cent).
The majority (64 per cent) of respondents said they are “concerned” (29 per cent) or “very concerned” (37 per cent) about the federal deficit which is projected to be about $40 billion for 2024-25.
Conservative voters are the most worried with 68 per cent stating they are “very concerned” about Canada’s balance sheet. The majority of Liberal (40 per cent) and NDP (34 per cent) voters said they are “not that concerned,” while Bloc Québécois voters (47 per cent) expressed concern.
Most respondents believe Ottawa is spending too much money on foreign aid (59 per cent), reconciliation or Indigenous programs (39 per cent) and environmental programs (32 per cent).
That said, there are some areas where they would like to see increased spending, with health care (67 per cent) being at the top of their list. Other areas
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