Trudeau authorities spending on polling rises to $20.3 million, almost double quantity from three years in the past

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OTTAWA — The federal authorities spent greater than $20 million on public opinion analysis final yr, almost twice what it spent simply three years in the past.

Within the final fiscal yr, the federal government commissioned 164 polls unfold throughout 34 departments and spent $20.3 million. The cash went to twenty totally different public opinion corporations.

In contrast in 2020, the federal government spent $11.3 million on public opinion analysis. The research embody formal quantitative polling in addition to focus teams and different analysis.

The federal government is required to launch the quantity it spends yearly on public opinion analysis in addition to the research themselves.

In its annual report, the federal government mentioned all the analysis helps it perceive what Canadians are considering and make higher selections.

“Public opinion analysis is a necessary device which supplies the federal government with precious insights on a variety of topics that contribute to evidence-based resolution making,” reads the report.

The general public opinion analysis contains common surveys on client demand and other people’s views on the energy of the economic system. It additionally polls on satisfaction with particular person authorities packages such because the baby profit or the Canada Employees Profit.

As well as, the federal government does surveys to gauge the effectiveness of its promoting, together with recruitment campaigns for the navy and campaigns for nationwide parks.

The most important spender within the 2022/23 fiscal yr was the Public Well being Company of Canada, which spent $4,172,223 polling on all the pieces from opioid habit and vaccine uptake to Canadians’ normal views on COVID-19.

“Appreciable analysis was performed to assist Canada’s post-pandemic restoration and mitigation of the well being, financial and social impacts of COVID-19,” the report reads. “Amongst different aims, the analysis was aiming to raised perceive Canadians’ day-to-day monetary administration and well-being in coping with the COVID-19 disaster.”

The Conservatives denounced the spending as pointless and mentioned the federal government ought to spend extra time responding to pressures Canadians are going through and fewer time polling on them.

“After eight years of this out of contact Liberal authorities, you don’t want a $20 million ballot or focus group to know that housing prices have doubled, thousands and thousands are utilizing meals banks each month, inflationary spending and Liberal taxes are making life extra unaffordable, and a wave of violent crime and habit has swept throughout our nation,” mentioned the celebration’s ethics critic MP Michael Barrett.

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