Thoughts on BC Politics and More

With the release of Mark Carney government’s first federal budget today, fresh polling from Nanos Research offers insight into how Canadians feel about spending, cuts, and what priorities they want reflected in the government’s fiscal plan. Healthcare tops the public agenda by a wide margin: 30% of respondents say strengthening the healthcare system is their number-one priority. In distant second, 15% say reducing the deficit is most important. Twelve percent would like to see greater investment in infrastructure, while another 12% point to housing. Other priorities include climate change mitigation (8%), job creation and inflation relief (6% each), and defence spending (5%). Even though only 15% cite deficit reduction as their main priority, a striking 74% of Canadians say it is important for the government to make spending cuts in the budget to help manage the deficit. The federal shortfall reached nearly $62 billion in 2023-24 — a figure that has heightened concerns about fiscal dis...