Ahead of budget, Canadians want cost of living help, not deficits: poll

The Ipsos poll for Global News found 42 per cent of respondents want Tuesday's federal budget to prioritize helping with the increasing cost of everyday expenses.

As the federal government prepares to release a budget expected to see major new investments and spending along with a higher deficit, Canadians say they’re most concerned about measures to reduce their cost of living, according to a new poll.

The Ipsos poll conducted exclusively for Global News found 42 per cent of respondents want the budget, set to be tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, to prioritize helping with the increasing cost of everyday expenses.

That number far outpaces Prime Minister Mark Carney’s stated priorities for transforming the Canadian economy — including investing in the Canadian military and national defence (15 per cent), funding major projects and infrastructure (15 per cent), and even measures to mitigate the impact of U.S. tariffs (25 per cent).

At the same time, three out of five Canadians surveyed by Ipsos said the cost of living and inflation have gotten worse because the government is spending too much — right at a time where Carney has argued Canada needs to spend even more while talking about “sacrifices.”

“The prime minister may have the right answers on what needs to be done for the future of Canada, particularly in this very dire moment that we find ourselves in, but he has not rallied Canadians at this point — at least as we’re seeing in the data — to what those specific things are,” Ipsos Public Affairs CEO Darrell Bricker said in an interview.

“If it’s something that’s going to increase the challenge of getting by from day to day, it doesn’t really matter what you want to spend it on. Canadians are not keen on it.”

Indeed, the poll suggests 69 per cent of Canadians are “worried” that the government won’t do enough to help them in the years ahead. That number rose to more than 70 per cent among younger demographics.

In a speech last month to students at the University of Ottawa seen as a preview of his economic priorities in the upcoming budget, Carney outlined affordability measures like increased homebuilding, boosting trade apprenticeships and tax filing help for low-income Canadians.