values

With a minority government in Ottawa, a federal election is possible at any time – triggered either deliberately or by accident. This encourages political observers to check opinion polls as often as regular people check the weather. | By Andrew Parkin

Nationalism has many different forms, from benign feelings of pride to aggressive chauvinism. Some speak idealistically of civic nationalism, quizzically of economic nationalism, or suspiciously of ethnic nationalism. | By Michael Adams & Andrew Parkin

For most of the past few decades our country has been welcoming large numbers of immigrants – both permanent and temporary – with the support of most Canadians. | By Michael Adams, Wendy Cukier & Keith Neuman

Previous Focus Canada surveys have documented a decline in the proportion of Canadians who are proud of being a Canadian. But in the wake of the developments since the return of U.S. President Donald Trump to the White House, has there been a resurgence of national pride in Canada?

Should Canadians be worried about identity politics? Some commentators lament the current obsession with identity, which they say focuses on what makes us different from one another rather than on what we have in common; that identity politics only serve to divide society into resentful silos. | By Michael Adams & Andrew Parkin

The Yukon came into existence as a separate territory on June 13, 1898. To mark the occasion, the Confederation of Tomorrow survey looks at how Yukoners’ opinions differ from those of other Canadians.

Last year marked the 40th anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. While the Charter as a whole remains popular, the occasional use by governments of its provision allowing them to override certain Charter rights (Section 33) continues to spark controversy.

Key findings are: Overall support for the equalization program in Canada remains steady; Support has increased in Alberta since 2019; Support remains steady in non-recipient provinces, but has fallen by 8 points since 2019 in recipient provinces. A 29-point gap between levels of support in Quebec and Alberta has narrowed to a 6-point gap.

It is easy to list the political issues that divide Canadians today. Leaders and parties stand far apart on what to do about health care, climate change and firearms, to name but a few.

Those of us who do public opinion research feel like we have the best seat in the house. The data we collect over the course of a year provide insights on how people are doing and what they are worried about.