and since 'character' is out of the question...:lol:
Canadians are looking for saints to run for office, but in the meantime, they’ll take some tax savings.
That pretty much sums up the mood of the Canadian electorate in the latest state-of-politics poll by the Manning Centre, released at the think-tank’s big gathering in Ottawa this week.
The poll shows Canadians in an apparent struggle between idealism and pragmatism — hopeful that politics could be better some day but dismally cynical about the way politics works right now.
It’s not just an existential debate. The winner of that mood struggle will help frame the all-important ballot question in this year’s federal election.
If Canadians are in an idealistic frame of mind, they may be inclined to vote for better democracy. But if they give in to cynicism or pragmatism, they’ll head to the voting booth thinking mainly of “taxpayer savings.”
On the face of it, the Manning Centre poll seems to point toward the practical. About half the respondents said economics-related issues — jobs, taxes, poverty and deficits — are the most important to them. As well, 72 per cent said the government should use projected surpluses for tax relief. Only 12 per cent said they wanted more government spending.
The preference for tax relief over spending programs would appear to indicate that citizens have given up on any prospect of their money going toward a public good, whether it’s crumbling roads or health care.
But then again, the result may be a product of the wording chosen in the poll’s questions — who wouldn’t prefer “tax relief” to “more spending” in the abstract? What if the choice was “lower taxes” versus “investments” in hospitals or highways?
more
Canadians torn between idealism, pragmatism: Delacourt | Toronto Star
Manning Barometer
Canadians are looking for saints to run for office, but in the meantime, they’ll take some tax savings.
That pretty much sums up the mood of the Canadian electorate in the latest state-of-politics poll by the Manning Centre, released at the think-tank’s big gathering in Ottawa this week.
The poll shows Canadians in an apparent struggle between idealism and pragmatism — hopeful that politics could be better some day but dismally cynical about the way politics works right now.
It’s not just an existential debate. The winner of that mood struggle will help frame the all-important ballot question in this year’s federal election.
If Canadians are in an idealistic frame of mind, they may be inclined to vote for better democracy. But if they give in to cynicism or pragmatism, they’ll head to the voting booth thinking mainly of “taxpayer savings.”
On the face of it, the Manning Centre poll seems to point toward the practical. About half the respondents said economics-related issues — jobs, taxes, poverty and deficits — are the most important to them. As well, 72 per cent said the government should use projected surpluses for tax relief. Only 12 per cent said they wanted more government spending.
The preference for tax relief over spending programs would appear to indicate that citizens have given up on any prospect of their money going toward a public good, whether it’s crumbling roads or health care.
But then again, the result may be a product of the wording chosen in the poll’s questions — who wouldn’t prefer “tax relief” to “more spending” in the abstract? What if the choice was “lower taxes” versus “investments” in hospitals or highways?
more
Canadians torn between idealism, pragmatism: Delacourt | Toronto Star
Manning Barometer
