By Amy Chen

“Old fashioned”, “oil oriented”, “tough on crime”, “favour some over others”, “doesn’t care about you”, “spends on the wrong things”, “elitist”, and “does not trust people” are eight of the 10 top terms Canadian voters associated with the Conservative Party of Canada, according to the latest nationwide survey by Abacus Data.

In sharp contrast, Canadians associated “diplomacy” “treat men and women equally” “proud of Canada” “cares about the environment” “projects positive image of Canada”, “individual freedom”, “renewable energy” and “hopeful” as key terms with both the ruling Liberal Party and the NDP.

Additionally, the respondents viewed the Liberals as “future oriented” and “young at heart”, while the NDP was associated with “down to earth” and “trust people”.

The only positive terms associated with the Tories were “proud of Canada” and “economically savvy”.

Surprisingly, more people associated “individual freedom” with the Liberals (68%) and the NDP (64%) than the Conservatives (48%).

The survey of 2,000 Canadians aged 18 and over found that, compared to the Liberals, the Conservatives are also seen as more militaristic, male oriented, less concerned about the environment, equality, or individual freedom.

“For the Liberals, the numbers provide a reminder of the need to constantly make the case for their economic policies and to avoid suggestions of elitism,” Abacus chairman Bruce Anderson said. “For the NDP, the striking news here is the degree to which the party can be seen as aging and old-fashioned.”

“For the Conservatives, the findings are clearer and inescapably point to the fact that the things which make their core vote most enthusiastic may often be the things that repel other voters,” Anderson added. “On gender equality, the environment and energy, and respect for individual freedoms, the Conservative brand finds itself somewhat isolated from a fair number of voters.”

“The Liberal brand, in trouble only a few years ago, is today the strongest with more people reflecting positive images onto it,” Abacus CEO David Coletto said. “It’s a forward-thinking, youthful, and hopeful party.”

“In contrast, the Conservative brand is under far more stress,” Coletto added. “Seven in ten feel it is old fashioned, far more associate it with oil than with renewable energy, and more describe it elitist than the other two major parties.”

The survey conducted from August 4 to 7, 2017 has a margin of error of +/- 2.2%, 19 times out of 20.