Election 2015: To Have and Have Not; Canadians Economic Anxiety Shapes Campaign Perspective

Transcription

1 Election 2015: To Have and Have Not; Canadians Economic Anxiety Shapes Campaign Perspective Page 1 of 31 Those who say they re "Haves" back the Conservative Party; "Have-Nots" size up opposition alternatives September 14, 2015 The economy continues to be the dominating issue of this federal election campaign, and new data from the Angus Reid Institute (ARI) reveals considerable anxiety in the minds of Canadians when it comes to their own fiscal fortunes. That anxiety is strongly tied to what Canadians choose as their economic priorities, where they see themselves in the financial spectrum, and which party leader they see as best to instill confidence in investors at home and abroad. METHODOLOGY: If you had to choose, which of these two groups would you say you are in? 30% 39% 31% The haves The have-nots I really can't say This new ARI public opinion poll The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from September 2nd finds strong divisions in to 7th, 2015 among a representative randomized sample of 1563 Canadian adults who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. For Canadians economic comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a identification as they fall into margin of error of +/-2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. one of four segments: the Older Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding. The survey was Haves, the Insecure Haves, the self-commissioned and paid for by ARI. Detailed tables are found at the Indebted Have Nots and the end of this release. Younger Have Nots. While the haves hope to see the Conservatives re-elected October 19th, the anxious "have-nots" are looking at the opposition parties. Key Findings: Two-in-three Canadians (66%) say they re stressed about money at least some of the time 47 per cent surveyed worry they or someone in their household will lose their job in the next year Two-in-five Canadians (39%) see themselves as "have-nots" Tax fairness (42%) and job growth (41%) are seen as the top economic priorities for government In terms of economic management and risk, the New Democratic Party s Thomas Mulcair is seen as best leader

2 Page 2 of 31 Part 1 - The Economy dominates, but what should government do about it? The economy's dominance in the minds of voters has been a consistent feature of Election Indeed, this latest Angus Reid Institute poll shows almost half (44%) of Canadians surveyed say it s the most important issue facing the country today. Factor in those who choose economic issues such as jobs/unemployment (23%), the deficit/spending (16%), taxes (14%) and income inequality (9%), and the majority of Canadians have fiscal matters on their minds. This preoccupation with the economy is understandable, given the gloomy economic outlook Canadians display in this poll: Four times as many say their current standard of living is worse than it was a year ago (34%) as say it s better (8%) And twice as many expect it to get worse over the next year (25%) as expect it to get better (12%) Canadians are similarly unenthusiastic about the economic prospects of their provinces (Manitoba, Ontario, and Atlantic residents, especially) and the nation as a whole in the coming year (see detailed tables at the end of this release). But what do they see as the most pressing economic task for government? Tax matters, job growth and social spending rank high, as seen in the following graph: Choose your top two economic priorities for government from the list below: Ensuring that the tax system is fair and progressive 42% Promoting jobs and economic growth where I live Improving social programs through greater investments in health care, pensions and child care 41% 41% Controlling inflation and costs in areas such as real estate and food 33% Taking steps to ensure a balanced budget 31% Tackling the special issues confronting specific groups such as First Nations, veterans, farmers, parents etc. 12%

3 Page 3 of 31 Part 2 - Where do Canadians place themselves in the Economy? Where Canadians place themselves in economic terms drives much of their thinking about priorities, vote preference and leaders economic performance. But herein lies a typically Canadian conundrum: so many people see themselves in the same economic category the middle class: Which economic class would you say you fit into? 30% 10% 1% 12% 47% Wealthy Middle class At or below the poverty line/poor Upper middle class Lower middle class Little wonder that political parties devote such attention to this group. A look at support by class identification shows an intense three-way race among the voters who identify as "middle class":

4 Page 4 of 31 Based on how you feel right now, which party's candidate in your own riding will you be most likely to support in the federal election next month? 39% 41% 35% 30% 33% 28% 26% 26% 17% 15% 24% 48% Upper middle class/wealthy Middle class Lower middle class At or below the poverty line/poor CPC Liberal NDP But how helpful is it to focus on the subjectively self-selected middle class, when nearly half of Canadians put themselves there, regardless of income, debt levels or other factors? The Angus Reid Institute asked respondents a second, more pointed question do they see themselves as haves or have nots : About one-third (31%) see themselves as haves Two-in-five (39%) see themselves as have nots The rest (30%) aren t sure where they belong Interestingly, an August Gallup poll in the USA found Americans more bullish, with most (58%) seeing themselves as haves, well more than the 38 per cent who said they were have-nots and the just five per cent who were uncertain. Still, the question yields notable divisions within the Canadian population, and the two sides of this divide show different political allegiances in this federal election campaign: If it were solely up to the "haves", the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) would be on track to win re-election, albeit by a slim margin just five points over the New Democrats (NDP) The have-nots favour the NDP by a two-to-one margin over the CPC (with the Liberals also substantially ahead of the CPC). Among the large "unsure" group, party preferences reflect the overall national average

5 Page 5 of 31 Based on how you feel right now, which party's candidate in your own riding will you be most likely to support in the federal election next month? 38% 22% 33% 20% 41% 28% 30% 26% 35% The haves The have- nots I really can't say CPC Liberal NDP

6 Page 6 of 31 Part 3 Economic Anxiety: Four Different Realities Canadians are anxious about the economy, but not equally so. Regardless of how they categorize themselves, i.e. Have, Have-Not or Can t Say, a special segmentation (or cluster) analysis of the data categorizes all respondents into four segments. This multivariate analytical technique helps uncover underlying structures and relationships within a given survey data set. Respondents are grouped or segmented based on shared attitudinal characteristics. This can powerfully illustrate the different mindsets surrounding the issue at hand in this case, the economy and people s experiences of it.

7 Page 7 of 31 Part 4 What are Canadians Anxious about? Jobs: Jobs and unemployment are a major source of economic anxiety, with almost half (47%) of Canadians surveyed agreeing "I m concerned that I or someone in my household could lose a job because of the economy. More broadly, three-in-four Canadians (76%) say they worry about how young people today will be able to find a good job. More than a third (35%) strongly agree with this statement, including nearly half (48%) of those under 25 years of age. The Insecure Haves are much more concerned (63%) than the Older Haves about unemployment in the family. Indeed, it s one of the key things that makes them insecure. "I'm concerned that I or someone in my household could lose a job because of the economy": 93% 63% 72% 64% 37% 28% 36% 7% Older haves Insecure haves Indebted have-nots Younger have-nots Agree Disagree Money: Fully two-in-three (66%) Canadians disagree with the statement I m never really stressed about money 28 per cent disagree strongly. This broad-based disagreement is particularly vehement among those making less than $50,000 per year (74%) and those under age 65 (see detailed tables at the end of this release). Money-related stress is also a red line that separates the two Haves segments from the two Have- Nots :

8 Page 8 of 31 "I'm never really stressed about money": 92% 95% 57% 43% 65% 35% 8% 5% Older haves Insecure haves Indebted have-nots Younger have-nots Agree Disagree Credit Card Debt: Paying by plastic has one-in-four Canadians (27%) agreeing with the statement, I have too much credit card debt. That rises to more than one-third (34%) between the ages of 35 and 54. Not coincidentally, the age cohort is also the most represented among the Indebted Have-Nots, who are defined by this particular anxiety. "I have too much credit card debt" 90% 90% 100% 100% 10% 10% 0% 0% Older Haves Insecure Haves Indebted Have-Nots Younger Have-Nots agree disagree The Future: Canadians are also anxious about their own personal economic futures. Six-in-ten (60%) say they worry that in the future they won t live as well as their parents generation.

9 Page 9 of 31 Unsurprisingly, the only age-group that doesn t agree with this statement is those older than 65 an age cohort that has arguably lived the majority of its life-span. To that end, the Older Haves are the outliers on this question: "I worry that in the future I won't live as well as my parents' generation did" 84% 68% 81% 88% 16% 32% 19% 12% Older Haves Insecure Haves Indebted Have-Nots Younger Have-Nots agree disagree Likewise, most Canadians disagree with the statement Based on my current financial position I feel I can have a comfortable retirement (58% do so, 27% strongly). Concern about financial security in retirement is highest among lower-income Canadians and those not yet at retirement age (see detailed tables at the end of this release). These findings align with what the Angus Reid Institute found in our in-depth study on the anatomy of retirement in Canada, released earlier this year. Part 5 To which leader do Canadians turn on the Economy? So how do these anxieties affect how Canadians view the party leaders' positioning on the economy? This Angus Reid Institute survey asked eligible voters for their view of the main party leaders on four key economic management dimensions:

10 Page 10 of 31 Percentage who agree with the following statements: He'll inspire confidence in investors at home and abroad 35% 38% 39% He'll work closely with the provinces to better manage the economy He is too risky a choice when it comes to the economy 28% 48% 52% 43% 38% 43% He can be trusted on economic issues 37% 37% 45% Trudeau Mulcair Harper As seen in the graph above, NDP leader Thomas Mulcair emerges with the best positioning on all four questions among all respondents. Dissected by segment, the party leaders' positioning varies, with Conservative leader Stephen Harper the most respected among the "Older Haves"; Mulcair very strongly positioned with both Have-not segments, and Liberal leader Justin Trudeau running second in both camps. Graphs showing opinion of each leader by segment follow:

11 Page 11 of 31 The segments' perspectives on Stephen Harper (per cent agreeing with statements shown): He can be trusted on economic issues 28% 30% 39% 48% He is too risky a choice when it comes to the economy 35% 39% 47% 51% He'll work closely with the provinces to better manage the economy 23% 21% 36% 32% He'll inspire confidence in investors at home and abroad 30% 30% 41% 50% Older Haves Insecure Haves Indebted Have-Nots Younger Have-Nots

12 Page 12 of 31 The segments' perspectives on Thomas Mulcair (per cent agreeing with statements shown): He can be trusted on economic issues 41% 50% 42% 49% He is too risky a choice when it comes to the economy 31% 31% 45% 43% He'll work closely with the provinces to better manage the economy 49% 56% 50% 54% He'll inspire confidence in investors at home and abroad 33% 41% 43% 38% Older Haves Insecure Haves Indebted Have-Nots Younger Have-Nots

13 Page 13 of 31 The segments' perspectives on Justin Trudeau (per cent agreeing with statements shown): He can be trusted on economic issues He is too risky a choice when it comes to the economy He'll work closely with the provinces to better manage the economy He'll inspire confidence in investors at home and abroad 33% 40% 40% 36% 50% 46% 37% 40% 49% 48% 48% 46% 31% 36% 37% 36% Older Haves Insecure Haves Indebted Have-Nots Younger Have-Nots The Angus Reid Institute (ARI) was founded in October 2014 by pollster and sociologist, Dr. Angus Reid. ARI is a national, not-for-profit, non-partisan public opinion research organization established to advance education by commissioning, conducting and disseminating to the public accessible and impartial statistical data, research and policy analysis on economics, political science, philanthropy, public administration, domestic and international affairs and other socio-economic issues of importance to Canada and its world.

14 Page 14 of 31 What do you feel are the most important issues facing Canada today? (choose two) (unw eighted sample (1563) BC (207) AB (159) SK (106) Region MB (107) ON (519) QC (370) ATL (95) Economy 44% 45% 48% 42% 24% 44% 43% 44% Health Care 29% 26% 26% 24% 32% 24% 39% 32% Jobs/Unemployment 23% 21% 28% 11% 12% 28% 16% 36% The Deficit/Government spending 16% 12% 17% 16% 29% 16% 18% 7% Environment /Pollution 15% 16% 13% 13% 12% 14% 19% 12% Taxes 14% 12% 12% 16% 28% 16% 9% 15% Education/Training 9% 5% 6% 7% 8% 7% 16% 8% Income inequality 9% 11% 4% 10% 9% 10% 7% 11% Terrorism/Security 8% 6% 6% 12% 5% 9% 7% 5% Ethics/Accountability 7% 9% 8% 15% 12% 8% 2% 11% Energy/Natural resources 5% 11% 11% 5% 3% 3% 2% 4% Crime/Public safety 5% 9% 8% 4% 4% 5% 2% 2% Other, please specify 4% 6% 6% 3% 6% 4% 2% 9% The Senate 4% 3% 3% 8% 4% 4% 4% 2% First Nations issues/aboriginal Affairs International Affairs/Canada's place in the w orld National Unity (Quebec separation) 3% 5% 2% 8% 8% 4% 2% 2% 3% 2% 2% 6% 4% 3% 5% 2% 1% 0% 0% 0% 2% 0% 4% 0%

15 Page 15 of 31 What do you feel are the most important issues facing Canada today? (choose two) (w eighted sample Men (763) Gender Age Income Women (799) (452) (545) 55+ (566) <$50K (519) $50K - $99K (503) $100K+ (293) Economy 44% 47% 41% 41% 43% 47% 40% 45% 50% Health Care 29% 24% 34% 19% 31% 37% 30% 30% 26% Jobs/Unemployment 23% 22% 25% 29% 25% 18% 25% 21% 21% The Deficit/Government spending Environment /Pollution 16% 15% 17% 15% 15% 18% 14% 17% 20% 15% 16% 15% 17% 18% 11% 18% 14% 12% Taxes 14% 15% 13% 14% 13% 14% 12% 14% 14% Education/Training 9% 7% 11% 13% 10% 5% 11% 11% 4% Income inequality 9% 10% 7% 10% 8% 9% 10% 8% 6% Terrorism/Security 8% 7% 8% 4% 10% 8% 8% 8% 8% Ethics/Accountability 7% 10% 5% 8% 6% 8% 7% 7% 12% Energy/Natural resources 5% 5% 5% 6% 5% 5% 6% 4% 7% Crime/Public safety 5% 4% 5% 5% 6% 3% 3% 6% 5% Other, please specify 4% 5% 3% 6% 3% 5% 4% 4% 4% The Senate 4% 4% 3% 3% 1% 6% 4% 3% 4% First Nations issues/aboriginal Affairs International Affairs/Canada's place in the w orld National Unity (Quebec separation) 3% 3% 4% 5% 3% 2% 3% 2% 4% 3% 3% 3% 4% 2% 4% 3% 4% 4% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 2% 1% 0%

16 Page 16 of 31 Please choose your TOP TWO economic priorities from the list below. (unw eighted sample Promoting jobs and economic grow th w here I live Taking steps to ensure a balanced budget Improving social programs through greater investments in health care, pensions and child care Ensuring that the tax system is fair and progressive Controlling inflation and costs in areas such as real estate and food Tackling the special issues confronting specific groups such as First Nations, veterans, farmers, parents etc. (1563) BC (207) AB (159) SK (106) Region MB (107) ON (519) QC (370) ATL (95) 41% 36% 40% 22% 35% 43% 41% 51% 31% 23% 38% 35% 35% 30% 36% 17% 41% 48% 33% 42% 29% 37% 44% 46% 42% 39% 46% 59% 49% 44% 36% 44% 33% 38% 33% 30% 32% 33% 32% 31% 12% 16% 10% 12% 20% 12% 11% 13%

17 Page 17 of 31 Please choose your TOP TWO economic priorities from the list below. (w eighted sample size) Federal Vote Intention CPC Liberal NDP Promoting jobs and economic grow th w here I live 41% 44% 45% 38% Taking steps to ensure a balanced budget Improving social programs through greater investments in health care, pensions and child care Ensuring that the tax system is fair and progressive 31% 55% 21% 20% 41% 17% 47% 51% 42% 44% 46% 42% Controlling inflation and costs in areas such as real estate and food Tackling the special issues confronting specific groups such as First Nations, veterans, farmers, parents etc. 33% 32% 29% 32% 12% 7% 10% 17% The idea of income inequality is often framed in terms of the haves and the havenots. If you had to choose, which of these two groups would you say you are in? (unw eighted sample (1563) BC (207) AB (159) SK (106) Region MB (107) ON (519) QC (370) ATL (95) The haves 31% 33% 42% 36% 21% 32% 29% 19% The have-nots 39% 43% 31% 39% 51% 39% 37% 43% I really can't say 30% 24% 27% 25% 28% 29% 33% 38%

18 Page 18 of 31 The idea of income inequality is often framed in terms of the haves and the havenots. If you had to choose, which of these two groups would you say you are in? (w eighted sample Men (763) Gender Women (799) (452) Age (545) The haves 31% 32% 30% 30% 28% 35% The have-nots 39% 39% 39% 37% 46% 34% I really can't say 30% 28% 31% 33% 26% 31% 55+ (566) The idea of income inequality is often framed in terms of the haves and the havenots. If you had to choose, which of these two groups would you say you are in? Education Income (w eighted sample High School or less (658) College/ Tech school (494) University + (410) <$50K (519) $50K - $99K (503) $100K+ (293) No response (260) The haves 31% 23% 29% 47% 14% 35% 60% 24% The have-nots 39% 44% 42% 27% 58% 37% 13% 35% I really can't say 30% 32% 30% 26% 28% 28% 26% 41% Based on how you feel right now, which party's candidate in your own riding will you be most likely to support in the federal election next month? (Including leaners, excluding those not sure) (w eighted sample The haves (487) Are you? The have-nots (608) I really can t say (468) Conservative Party 38% 20% 30% Liberal Party 22% 28% 26% New Democratic Party (NDP) 33% 41% 35%

19 Page 19 of 31 Thinking about this idea another way, which economic class would you say you fit into? (unw eighted sample (1563) BC (207) AB (159) SK (106) Region MB (107) ON (519) QC (370) ATL (95) Wealthy 1% 2% 1% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% Upper middle class 12% 9% 18% 6% 10% 11% 13% 9% Middle class 47% 46% 48% 51% 43% 49% 50% 35% Low er middle class 30% 29% 25% 35% 35% 30% 27% 45% At or below the poverty line/poor 10% 14% 7% 7% 11% 10% 10% 12% Thinking about this idea another way, which economic class would you say you fit into? (w eighted sample The haves (487) Are you? The have-nots (608) I really can t say (468) Wealthy 1% 1% 0% 0% Upper middle class 12% 30% 2% 5% Middle class 47% 60% 26% 62% Low er middle class 30% 8% 49% 29% At or below the poverty line/poor 10% 1% 23% 3%

20 Page 20 of 31 Based on how you feel right now, which party's candidate in your own riding will you be most likely to support in the federal election next month? (Including leaners, excluding those not sure) (w eighted sample Wealthy + Upper Middle Class (182) Middle Class (684) Are you? Low er Middle Class (402) At or below the poverty line (135) Conservative Party 39% 30% 26% 15% Liberal Party 17% 28% 26% 24% New Democratic Party (NDP) 35% 33% 41% 48% All things considered, do you think your current standard of living is better or worse now than it was a year ago? (unw eighted sample (1563) BC (207) AB (159) SK (106) Region MB (107) ON (519) QC (370) ATL (95) Better now 8% 9% 7% 8% 5% 7% 11% 9% The same as a year ago 54% 52% 56% 50% 45% 57% 54% 47% Worse now 34% 36% 35% 39% 45% 32% 32% 37% Not sure 4% 3% 2% 4% 5% 4% 4% 6%

21 Page 21 of 31 All things considered, do you think your current standard of living is better or worse now than it was a year ago? (w eighted sample Men (763) Gender Women (799) (452) Age (545) Better now 8% 9% 7% 14% 7% 5% The same as a year ago 55+ (566) 54% 57% 51% 49% 53% 59% Worse now 34% 32% 36% 29% 37% 35% Not sure 4% 2% 6% 8% 3% 1% And a year from now, do you think your standard of living will be better or worse than now? (unw eighted sample (1563) BC (207) AB (159) SK (106) Region MB (107) ON (519) QC (370) ATL (95) Better a year from now 12% 12% 8% 16% 9% 12% 15% 9% The same as now 47% 43% 58% 47% 47% 44% 50% 47% Worse a year from now 25% 26% 21% 23% 36% 25% 22% 26% Not sure 16% 18% 13% 15% 8% 19% 13% 18%

22 Page 22 of 31 And a year from now, do you think your standard of living will be better or worse than now? (w eighted sample Better a year from now Men (763) Gender Women (799) (452) Age (545) 55+ (566) 12% 14% 10% 20% 12% 6% The same as now 47% 50% 45% 49% 45% 48% Worse a year from now 25% 25% 24% 16% 27% 29% Not sure 16% 11% 21% 14% 16% 18% Over the next twelve months, do you think the economy of your province will improve, remain the same, or worsen? (unw eighted sample (1563) BC (207) AB (159) SK (106) Region MB (107) ON (519) QC (370) ATL (95) Significantly improve 2% 2% 2% 5% 1% 2% 2% 2% Moderately improve 21% 19% 24% 25% 14% 17% 27% 18% Remain the same 36% 39% 27% 36% 42% 36% 38% 30% Moderately w orsen 33% 34% 34% 27% 36% 35% 26% 37% Significantly w orsen 9% 5% 14% 7% 7% 9% 6% 13%

23 Page 23 of 31 Over the next twelve months, do you think the economy of your province will improve, remain the same, or worsen? (w eighted sample Men (763) Gender Women (799) (452) Age (545) Significantly improve 2% 3% 1% 4% 2% 1% Moderately improve 21% 23% 19% 24% 17% 22% Remain the same 36% 32% 40% 39% 39% 30% Moderately w orsen 33% 33% 32% 28% 32% 38% Significantly w orsen 9% 9% 8% 5% 11% 9% 55+ (566) Over the next twelve months, do you think the Canadian economy will improve, remain the same, or worsen? (unw eighted sample (1563) BC (207) AB (159) SK (106) Region MB (107) ON (519) QC (370) ATL (95) Significantly improve 2% 2% 0% 1% 0% 2% 4% 2% Moderately improve 27% 25% 27% 35% 26% 28% 28% 20% Remain the same 37% 33% 37% 31% 42% 39% 36% 39% Moderately w orsen 29% 34% 28% 26% 31% 28% 29% 31% Significantly w orsen 5% 6% 8% 7% 1% 4% 4% 7%

24 Page 24 of 31 Over the next twelve months, do you think the Canadian economy will improve, remain the same, or worsen? (w eighted sample Men (763) Gender Women (799) (452) Age (545) Significantly improve 2% 2% 2% 4% 1% 1% Moderately improve 27% 30% 24% 29% 22% 30% Remain the same 37% 35% 39% 40% 41% 31% Moderately w orsen 29% 28% 30% 23% 30% 33% Significantly w orsen 5% 5% 5% 3% 7% 4% 55+ (566) Thinking about your own household s financial situation, tell us whether you agree or disagree with each of these statements: (Summary of Agree) (unw eighted sample I'm never really stressed about money I'm concerned that I or someone in my household could lose a job because of the economy I w orry about how young people today will be able to find a good job Based on my current financial position I feel I can have a comfortable retirement I have too much credit card debt I w orry that in the future I w on't live as w ell as my parents' generation did (1563) BC (207) AB (159) SK (106) Region MB (107) ON (519) QC (370) ATL (95) 34% 33% 32% 30% 26% 31% 40% 33% 47% 46% 55% 39% 41% 47% 46% 49% 76% 74% 67% 68% 68% 80% 74% 80% 42% 43% 44% 45% 39% 40% 41% 43% 27% 23% 22% 29% 28% 26% 29% 36% 60% 60% 57% 61% 63% 61% 59% 56%

25 Page 25 of 31 Thinking about your own household s financial situation, tell us whether you agree or disagree with each of these statements: (Summary of Agree) (w eighted sample I'm never really stressed about money I'm concerned that I or someone in my household could lose a job because of the economy I w orry about how young people today w ill be able to find a good job Based on my current financial position I feel I can have a comfortable retirement I have too much credit card debt I w orry that in the future I w on't live as w ell as my parents' generation did Men (763) Gender Women (799) (185) (267) (257) Age (287) (259) 65+ (307) 34% 40% 28% 29% 28% 27% 31% 31% 52% 47% 44% 51% 49% 55% 53% 54% 43% 33% 76% 75% 77% 84% 67% 67% 73% 80% 84% 42% 45% 38% 33% 35% 30% 34% 46% 65% 27% 27% 27% 25% 32% 38% 30% 26% 14% 60% 57% 63% 67% 68% 66% 69% 58% 35%

26 Page 26 of 31 Thinking about your own household s financial situation, tell us whether you agree or disagree with each of these statements: (Summary of Agree) (w eighted sample I'm never really stressed about money I'm concerned that I or someone in my household could lose a job because of the economy I w orry about how young people today will be able to find a good job Based on my current financial position I feel I can have a comfortable retirement I have too much credit card debt I w orry that in the future I w on't live as w ell as my parents' generation did Older Haves (494) Insecure Haves (302) Segmentation Indebted Have- Nots (347) Younger Have- Nots (418) 34% 57% 65% 8% 5% 47% 7% 63% 72% 64% 76% 54% 95% 81% 83% 42% 73% 74% 12% 6% 27% 10% 10% 100% 0% 60% 16% 68% 81% 88% Thinking about your own household s financial situation, tell us whether you agree or disagree with each of these statements: (I m never really stressed about money) (w eighted sample Men (763) Gender Women (799) (452) Age (545) Strongly agree 6% 8% 5% 7% 5% 7% Moderately agree 27% 31% 23% 21% 24% 35% Moderately disagree 38% 38% 39% 37% 41% 37% 55+ (566) Strongly disagree 28% 23% 33% 35% 30% 21%

27 Page 27 of 31 Thinking about your own household s financial situation, tell us whether you agree or disagree with each of these statements: (I m never really stressed about money) Education Income (w eighted sample High School or less (658) College/ Tech school (494) University + (410) <$50K (519) $50K - $99K (503) $100K+ (293) No response (260) Strongly agree 6% 7% 6% 7% 5% 8% 9% 4% Moderately agree 27% 24% 28% 31% 21% 30% 32% 30% Moderately disagree 38% 39% 39% 36% 40% 37% 36% 41% Strongly disagree 28% 30% 27% 26% 34% 26% 23% 26% Thinking about your own household s financial situation, tell us whether you agree or disagree with each of these statements: (Based on my current financial position I feel I can have a comfortable retirement) (w eighted sample Men (763) Gender Women (799) (452) Age (545) Strongly agree 10% 12% 8% 8% 5% 15% Moderately agree 32% 33% 30% 26% 27% 41% Moderately disagree 32% 31% 33% 35% 36% 24% 55+ (566) Strongly disagree 27% 24% 29% 31% 31% 20%

28 Page 28 of 31 Thinking about your own household s financial situation, tell us whether you agree or disagree with each of these statements: (Based on my current financial position I feel I can have a comfortable retirement) (w eighted sample High School or less (658) Education College/ Tech school (494) University + (410) <$50K (519) $50K - $99K (503) Income $100K+ (293) No response (260) Strongly agree 10% 10% 9% 11% 8% 10% 15% 8% Moderately agree 32% 27% 34% 36% 23% 34% 44% 30% Moderately disagree 32% 33% 30% 31% 33% 32% 28% 33% Strongly disagree 27% 31% 26% 22% 36% 24% 13% 29% Thinking about your own household s financial situation, tell us whether you agree or disagree with each of these statements: (I'm concerned that I or someone in my household could lose a job because of the economy) (w eighted sample Men (763) Gender Women (799) (452) Age (545) Strongly agree 17% 14% 20% 18% 22% 11% Moderately agree 30% 30% 31% 35% 31% 26% Moderately disagree 30% 34% 27% 34% 32% 26% 55+ (566) Strongly disagree 22% 22% 22% 14% 15% 36%

29 Page 29 of 31 Thinking about your own household s financial situation, tell us whether you agree or disagree with each of these statements: (I worry about how young people today will be able to find a good job) (w eighted sample Men (763) Gender Women (799) (185) (267) (257) Age (287) (259) 65+ (307) Strongly agree 35% 31% 39% 48% 28% 26% 37% 39% 36% Moderately agree 41% 43% 38% 36% 39% 41% 36% 41% 48% Moderately disagree 17% 18% 17% 14% 24% 22% 18% 13% 12% Strongly disagree 7% 7% 7% 2% 8% 10% 9% 7% 4%

30 Page 30 of 31 Thinking about the issues we ve been talking about in this survey, we d like to get your views on how each of the main national party leaders would perform when it comes to handling the economy if they won this election and formed the next federal government. (Summary of Agree) (w eighted sample size) Federal Vote Intention CPC Liberal NDP Conservative Party Leader Stephen Harper He can be trusted on economic issues He is too risky a choice w hen it comes to the economy He'll w ork closely w ith the provinces to better manage the economy He'll inspire confidence in investors at home and abroad 37% 89% 22% 17% 43% 8% 57% 63% 28% 71% 15% 12% 39% 88% 23% 19% New Democratic Party Leader Thomas Mulcair He can be trusted on economic issues He is too risky a choice w hen it comes to the economy He'll w ork closely w ith the provinces to better m anage the economy He'll inspire confidence in investors at home and abroad 45% 14% 39% 82% 38% 66% 44% 17% 52% 21% 54% 83% 38% 9% 29% 72% Liberal Party Leader Justin Trudeau He can be trusted on economic issues He is too risky a choice w hen it comes to the economy He'll w ork closely w ith the provinces to better manage the economy He'll inspire confidence in investors at home and abroad 37% 8% 79% 37% 43% 76% 16% 46% 48% 23% 82% 50% 35% 8% 71% 34%

31 Page 31 of 31 Thinking about the issues we ve been talking about in this survey, we d like to get your views on how each of the main national party leaders would perform when it comes to handling the economy if they won this election and formed the next federal government. (Summary of Agree) (w eighted sample He can be trusted on economic issues He is too risky a choice w hen it comes to the economy He'll w ork closely w ith the provinces to better manage the economy He'll inspire confidence in investors at home and abroad He can be trusted on economic issues He is too risky a choice w hen it comes to the economy He'll w ork closely w ith the provinces to better manage the economy He'll inspire confidence in investors at home and abroad He can be trusted on economic issues He is too risky a choice w hen it comes to the economy He'll w ork closely w ith the provinces to better manage the economy He'll inspire confidence in investors at home and abroad Older Haves (494) Insecure Haves (302) Segmentation Conservative Party Leader Stephen Harper Indebted Have- Nots (347) Younger Have- Nots (418) 37% 48% 39% 28% 30% 43% 35% 39% 47% 51% 28% 36% 32% 23% 21% 39% 50% 41% 30% 30% New Democratic Party Leader Thomas Mulcair 45% 41% 50% 42% 49% 38% 45% 43% 31% 31% 52% 49% 56% 50% 54% 38% 33% 41% 43% 38% Liberal Party Leader Justin Trudeau 37% 33% 40% 40% 36% 43% 50% 46% 37% 40% 48% 49% 48% 48% 46% 35% 31% 36% 37% 36%