VANCOUVER – Scenes of anger, defiance and resentment on the streets of Ottawa this week appear to be symptomatic of a broader sense of disengagement and frustration with the state of Canadian democracy, according to new data from Angus Reid Institute.
The latest study finds Canadians equally divided over whether the country can be accurately described as having a “good system of government”; 42 per cent do, 45% do not.
Thirty-seven per cent of Canadians feel that there is no room for political compromise these days in Canada. This proportion is highest in the more conservative core of the country, in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Beyond those areas of anticipated criticism, however, are significant portions of the country across the political spectrum that do not feel well-represented in Ottawa.
Does government care?
In no region of the country do a majority of residents say that they feel the federal government cares about issues important to them. Quebecers are most bullish on this question, with 41% saying they feel heard by Ottawa. Notably, seven-in-ten past Liberal voters (69%) say that this government cares about issues that matter to them, followed by two-in-five of those who supported the NDP (40%) and Bloc Québécois (39%) in September, and just 11% of past CPC voters.
Fewer than half (47%) of 18- to 34-year-old men say Canada is a country they are proud to live in. For all other demographics, at least two-thirds say so.
Women over the age of 55 are the only demographic group where at least half (51%) feels like the federal government is attuned to issues they feel are important.
