Canadians Prioritize Cost of Living and Trade Tensions as Prime Minister Carney and Opposition Leader Poilievre Prep for Parliament's Return

Canadians are eager for action from their Members of Parliament (MPs) to address the rising cost of living and trade tensions with the United States as top priorities, according to a new survey by Nanos Research. The fall sitting of Parliament is set to resume Monday, with Prime Minister Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre facing off in Question Period for the first time. Meanwhile, the government is preparing to table its first budget, continue trade talks with the US, and update climate change policies.

Key Takeaways:

• A Nanos Research survey shows that Canadians prioritize the rising cost of living and trade tensions with the US as the top issues for the House of Commons to address, with 21% of respondents selecting these issues as their top priority.
• The survey also reveals that younger Canadians (under 55) are more likely to want to see a focus on the rising cost of living, while older Canadians (55 and over) are more concerned about trade negotiations with the US.
• Prime Minister Mark Carney's government will focus on investments that encourage long-term growth, despite expecting a larger deficit than last year's.
• Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has accused the Liberal government of being "all talk and no action," and has outlined his party's priorities for the fall sitting, including lowering taxes, making homes more affordable, reducing crime, and "bringing immigration under control."
• Poilievre has also criticized the government's recent shift in favor of traditional oil and gas, but the survey shows that environmental concerns are not top of mind for Canadians at the moment.
• The survey found that 56% of respondents rated Prime Minister Carney's performance in dealing with US President Donald Trump as "very good" or "good."
• The government is expected to table its first budget, continue trade talks with the US, and update climate change policies during the fall sitting.

Statistics:

• 21% of respondents selected rising cost of living and trade negotiations with the US as their top priority for the House of Commons (Nanos Research survey).
• 56% of respondents rated Prime Minister Carney's performance in dealing with US President Trump as "very good" or "good" (Nanos Research survey).
• The survey was conducted between August 30 and September 3, with a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Sources:

• Nanos Research
• The Globe and Mail
• The Canadian Press