This is The Week in Polling, your Saturday dose of interesting numbers from top pollsters in Canada and around the world, curated by The Hub. Here’s what we’re looking at this week.
Over 60 percent of Canadians believe the federal government lacks pride in the military
Source: Leger
The majority of Canadians believe the Government of Canada does not take enough pride in the country’s military.
Canada’s military is ranked 27 out of the 145 state militaries considered for the annual Global Firepower review. Canada holds a Power Index score of 0.3813; a score of 0.0000 is considered the best in the GFP assessment.
According to data journalist Kiernan Green’s analysis for The Hub, the federal government has spent below its own projections on military equipment and national defence each year since 2016, while half of Canadian military vehicles are unfit for deployment.
Canada has yet to meet its NATO commitment to spend 2 percent of GDP on the military but claims it will by 2032. According to a report done by the Parliamentary Budget Officer, military spending would need to reach $81.9 billion by the 2032-33 fiscal year, which is almost double the projected $41 billion in spending for 2024-25.
Part of the government’s plan to meet the 2 percent requirement is to expand Canada’s submarine fleet, acquire vehicles that can traverse snow and ice, and modernize the military’s artillery capabilities.
Federal Conservatives surpasses the Liberals in Quebec
Source: Leger
While the Bloc Québécois remains in first place in their home province, polling at 35 percent, support for the Conservatives has increased by two points since October to 24 percent, putting them at second. During the same period, the Liberals dropped by five points to 22 percent, putting them third. The New Democrat party trails the Liberals at 13 percent.
In the 2021 election, the Liberals won the popular vote in Quebec, achieving 33.6 percent; surpassing the Bloc Québécois’s 32.1 percent. The Conservatives only accumulated 18.6 percent.
The poll also found that Leader of the Opposition Pierre Poilievre and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were tied in being perceived as the best person to be Canada’s prime minister, each with 20 percent of the vote.
In Canada, Justin Trudeau is almost disliked as much as Donald Trump
Source: Abacus Data
In a poll conducted from September to November of this year, Prime Minister Trudeau is nearly as disliked as President-elect Donald Trump. About 64 percent of Canadians dislike Trump, while 60 percent dislike Trudeau.
The poll indicates that only 22 percent of Canadians view Trudeau positively, while just one percent fewer Canadians view Trump positively.
A recent poll by the Enviornics Institute found that Canadian support for Trump was higher than it was during the last U.S. presidential election, though still lower than support for the Democrat nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris. Only 21 percent of Canadians would have voted for Trump if they were able.
Aiden Muscovitch is a student at the University of Toronto studying Ethics, Society and Law. He has served as The Hub's Assistant Editor and writes The Week in Polling. He has also worked as an intern for Conservative Member of Parliament and Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Michael Chong.
