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Pipelines

While most voters align with their party’s pipeline promises, Canadians overall are deeply divided when it comes to transporting one of the most lucrative natural resources we have. More than a third (35 per cent) of Canadians want new pipelines and capacity to be expanded and 35 per cent agree with the current approach to approve some while rejecting other pipelines. Those who don’t want pipelines built barely fall behind at 31 per cent.

Income tax

The majority of the electorate prefers some sort of revamped taxation policy, with most poll respondents (38 per cent) preferring the Liberals’ plan to make the first $15,000 of income tax free, while 37 per cent prefer the NDP’s “super wealth tax” on households with assets exceeding $20 million. The majority of Conservative voters (52 per cent), however, prefers the Liberal policy, whereas only a third of Conservatives (32 per cent) prefer their party’s policy to reduce the tax rate from 15 per cent to 13.75 per cent for those in the lowest tax bracket.

Federal deficit management

When it comes to balancing the books, 78 per cent of Conservative voters want the federal budget back in the positive within five years, even if that means higher taxes or cutting social programs. Liberal, NDP and Green voters, conversely, prefer running a deficit for the next four years in order to invest in job growth and social programs.

Pharmacare

Having the federal government subsidize prescription drugs has been a key issue, with 78 per cent of Canadians wanting some form of pharmacare. Conservatives were nearly divided with 44 per cent supporting the Liberals’ plan to gradually work toward subsidizing medicines by initially investing $6 billion and 43 per cent who didn’t want a national pharmacare plan at all. More than half of Liberal voters supported their party’s policy, but more than a third (36 per cent) supported the NDP policy that would establish a pharmacare program right away.

The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from Oct. 12 to 15 among a representative randomized sample of 2,100 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum. The poll is considered accurate 19 times out of 20 with a margin of error +/- two percentage points.