CARP Post Budget Poll Report

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Key Findings

CARP members are equally likely to think the federal budget is good for older Canadians or not good for them. They personally appreciate the changes to TFSAs and RRIFs, but they recognize many Canadians will not benefit from these changes. They see the budget as an electoral political document, but would have liked it much better if it had included health care reform and CPP expansion.

While most say the budget ignores those with the greatest need, they do not agree it favours older Canadians. They are split, however, on whether seniors are rewarded in budgets because they are more likely than youth to vote.

Members are slightly more likely to say a balanced budget is important to them than one that maintains services they rely on. Separately, only a minority see enough in this budget to support it wholeheartedly, in the absence of more action on health care, chronic care, dementia care, pharmacare and CPP expansion, but especially, improving seniors’ income supports and returning the age for OAS to 65 from 67.

Members disagree with the tactic of balancing the budget by selling GM shares at a loss and depleting the contingency fund. Members are equally likely to want the budget surplus spent on debt reduction or not spent at all, and they clearly prefer across-the-board tax cuts to targeted tax credits as a way of getting the surplus back to taxpayers.

The key budget measures we tested are all very popular, including RRIF changes, caregiver leave expansion and the home renovation tax credit. The TFSA limit change is popular as well. It is clearly preferred that caregiver leave be extended beyond those caring for terminal patients.

The Ontario provincial budget is not well-liked by Ontario members and is not seen to be good for the economy.

The Liberals continue to lead in member voting preference, trailed by the Conservatives. The NDP is in third place.

May 7, 2015

To download the full poll report complete with charts and graphs, click here