While Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberals keep telling us we must support their carbon tax or watch the planet burn, the political ground under them has shifted dramatically.
More Canadians now believe Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is better equipped to address climate change and grow Canada’s clean economy (30%) than Trudeau (17%), NDP leader Jagmeet Singh (13%) or Green Party leader Elizabeth May (9%).
A year ago, 37% believed Trudeau was better equipped to deal with climate change than Poilievre at 30%.
By contrast, “many Canadians now view (Poilievre) as a capable leader on these critical issues.”
The findings come from a newly-released Abacus Data survey of 1,701 Canadian adults completed last month.
The results are surprising given that Trudeau’s signature policy on climate change with an election expected within a year remains the federal carbon tax, plus more than $200 billion earmarked so far by the feds on over 100 government programs, regulations and subsidies to reduce industrial greenhouse gas emissions.
But they are not shocking, because, as the poll also found, public concern about climate change is down 14% to 62% from 76% a year ago, with 72% of Canadians surveyed now more worried about immediate challenges such as the high cost of living and housing affordability, compared to only 5% placing a greater emphasis on environmental matters.
Poilievre hasn’t released the Conservative climate change plan yet and the poll suggests he cannot afford to ignore the issue given that 79% of Canadians say that if he becomes PM he should take it seriously, including 89% of Liberal and NDP voters and even 71% of Conservative voters.
The public is divided on whether Poilievre will take climate action seriously if he becomes PM — 34% say he will, 45% say he won’t with 20% undecided.
Conservative voters have more faith in him addressing climate change seriously (55%) than Liberal and NDP voters do (25% and 20%) respectively.
The most significant finding from this new survey suggests the dominant political and media narrative in Canada until now — that climate change was the Achilles’ heel of Poilievre and the Conservatives — is incorrect.
Canadians view climate change as important but that running around with one’s hair on fire proclaiming the end is nigh is unproductive.