A recently released survey has found that Canadians’ trust in politicians has dropped to a new low. The CanTrust Index 2024 reported that faith in the country’s top leader has decreased by 21 percent over the past eight years, with only 25 percent of Canadians currently stating that they trust Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Overall, just 17 percent of Canadians trust elected officials.
Confidence in the prime minister is lowest in the prairie provinces at 21 percent, a one percent drop from 2023. Trust in Mr. Trudeau has also declined in Ontario and Atlantic Canada, down to 26 percent from 34 percent and 41 percent respectively. In British Columbia, trust in the leader has dropped from 29 percent to 27 percent, and in Quebec, it has decreased from 38 percent to 32 percent.
The survey also indicated that the number of Canadians who trust Conservative leader Pierre Poilieve and NDP’s Jagmeet Singh is tied at 32 percent. However, trust in provincial premiers has risen in several areas of the country. Overall, about three in 10 Canadians trust their premiers.
Despite a lack of trust in politicians, many Canadians still have faith in the country’s political systems, with 50 percent saying the electoral system is “fair”. However, less than half of those surveyed—46 percent—said they trusted the electoral system. The survey also found that the number of people who said the government had value and provided services for Canadians saw a drop of two percent from 2023, to 62 percent. Trust in Parliament has also fallen to 37 percent, from 38 percent in 2023.
The level of anxiety that Canadians have about the economy far outweighs concerns about the pandemic. Sixty-seven percent of respondents said the state of the economy has increased stress and anxiety in their lives, and the number of those who said they are “economically satisfied” has dropped six points since 2021, to 34 percent. The survey collected data from 1,501 Canadians between January 3 and January 13.