Boosting the Canada Pension Plan is a popular move across the country, a new poll suggests.

Two weeks after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government brokered an agreement long sought by Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne to enhance the CPP, the Forum Research survey found overwhelming support for the move.

More than two-thirds of those polled nationwide — 68 per cent — approve of expanding the public pension plan, while only 16 per cent disapproved and 17 per cent were not sure.

“The previous government resisted this move for so long, calling any increase to CPP contributions and benefits a ‘payroll tax,’ and relying on support from their friends at the various business lobbies,” Forum Research president Lorne Bozinoff said Tuesday.

That was a reference to former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper’s strong opposition to improve the CPP, which led Wynne to propose a separate Ontario Retirement Pension Plan that is now redundant and being scrapped.

“It is apparent, however, that this argument (from Harper’s Tories) never had traction, and pent-up demand for pension reform is generating real enthusiasm at the action the government has taken,” said Bozinoff.

Indeed, in Ontario, both Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath immediately embraced the CPP changes, thereby ensuring pension reform will not likely be a major issue in the 2018 election.

Forum found 72 per cent of Ontarians polled back the CPP expansion, with 16 per cent opposing it and 13 per cent unsure.

Even in Quebec — which has its own pension plan and, along with Manitoba, did not sign the CPP deal — 57 per cent support it, with 12 per cent disapproving and 31 per cent not sure.

In British Columbia, 70 per cent endorsed it with 17 per cent disapproval and 13 per cent with no opinion.

Under the provisional agreement, which must be approved by July 15, premiums for employees and employers will begin to rise in 2019 and CPP benefits, which currently pay out a maximum of $13,110 a year, will eventually rise to $17,478. Higher premiums will be fully phased in by 2026.

Not everyone is enthusiastic about the CPP revamp.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business said 83 per cent of 3,822 small business owners surveyed want Ottawa and the provinces to conduct public consultations and do an economic impact analysis before proceeding with the pension overhaul.

“We’re calling on governments to bring the deal to Canadians and to give them time to decide if this is the best deal for them,” CFIB president Dan Kelly said Wednesday.

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Using interactive voice-response telephone calls, Forum polled 1,429 Canadians on Tuesday with results considered accurate to within three percentage points 19 times out of 20.

Where appropriate, results were statistically weighted by age, region, and other variables to ensure the sample reflects the actual population according to the latest census data. Forum houses its complete poll results in the data library of the University of Toronto political science department.

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