Poll challenges view that Canadians oppose higher taxes
OTTAWA—A new poll challenges conventional political wisdom by showing a majority of Canadians — including most Conservative voters and wealthy individuals — would support higher taxes to fight income inequality.
A telephone survey of 2,000 Canadians by Environics Research asked about attitudes toward growing income inequality and the role of government and individuals in addressing it.
After canvassing whether respondents see inequality as a real problem, and whether the rich should pay more, it asked directly if people would “personally be very, somewhat, not very or not at all willing to pay slightly higher taxes if that’s what it would take to protect our social programs like health care, pensions and access to post-secondary education.”
In all,
64 per cent said they would be willing to pay “slightly higher taxes,” although what exactly “slightly” higher meant was not specified. Of the 64 per cent, 41 per cent were “somewhat” open and 23 per cent were “very” willing to pay more.
Surprisingly, it found a majority of support across gender, ages, education levels, family income and employment levels, and in most regions. Only in Quebec, the highest-taxed province, the survey found slightly less than majority support — 49 per cent — for higher taxes.
It said even a majority of Conservative voters (58 per cent) are somewhat willing to pay higher taxes to protect social programs, while Liberal and NDP voters are more supportive (72 per cent would pay more.)
“This attitude toward paying slightly higher taxes is reflected equally in high income and middle income Canadian households. It’s only their governments who are offside,” said a release that accompanies the poll to be published Tuesday. “These numbers prove that concern about income inequality cuts across partisan lines.”
Overall, 14 per cent said they were “not very willing” to pay more, 19 per cent were flatly “not willing,” while 3 per cent didn’t know or didn’t answer.
The survey tested three other scenarios: increasing the personal income tax rate on the rich with incomes above $250,000 and above $500,000; gradually increasing the corporate tax rates back to what they were in 2008 (19.5 per cent compared to 15 per cent now, though that wasn’t specified) and reinstating a 35 per cent inheritance tax on wealthy estates above $5 million, with spouses exempt.
All three options found a majority support across all groups, although Alberta’s support for increasing corporate tax rates was more tepid than other regions at 67 per cent, as was Conservative voters, although 62 per cent of Tories still supported raising corporate tax rates.
Broadbent, the former NDP leader, said the results went well beyond the “hunch” he’d had that Canadians would support not just higher taxes on the rich — “that’s not surprising,” — but would also tolerate paying more themselves. “That’s the tougher question: ‘what about your own taxes,’ ” he said in an interview.
The results also directly challenged a picture painted by the conservative Manning Centre’s recent polling which suggested Canadians want a reduced role for government in their lives, and are unlikely to believe government is able to solve the big problems of the day.
The Broadbent Institute’s survey found most Canadians (77 per cent) believe the growing gap between the rich and “everyone else” has long-term negative consequences, and want the government to make reducing the gap a high priority.
The survey, conducted between March 6 and 18, can be considered accurate to within plus or minus 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Poll challenges view that Canadians oppose higher taxes
