The majority of CARP Action Online readers agree that improving health care in Canada through guaranteed wait times, national care standards and pharmacare is not only the most important of five CARP issues presented to them, it is also the one which, if acted upon, would be most likely to sway their vote in the coming election.

The majority of those responding to the survey (54%) said the one most important issue in deciding their vote in this election was better health care through guaranteed wait times, national care standards and pharmacare, followed by just more than one quarter who said a Universal Pension Plan/increases to the OAS/GIS were the most important issue (28%). Half of this portion (13%) think a national caregiver allowance is the most important issue, while very few opt for a national strategy to keep older Canadians working (3%) or an end to mandatory retirement (2%).

When asked which one of these issues might change their vote, the results mirror the previous question. Improved health care is most often cited (54%), followed by the Universal Pension Plan (28%), the caregiver allowance (13%), the older workers strategy (3%) and ending mandatory retirement (2%)

More than half the respondents in this survey are 65 years of age or older (58%), and come primarily from Ontario (53%) and BC (21%)

Survey results are based on a self-selected sample of 1469 members of CARP who received the organization’s online newsletter. Results can be said to be accurate within 2.7%, either up or down, at the 95% confidence level. That is, if all recipients of CARP Action Online were asked these questions, their answers would be within 2.7% of those shown here, 19 out of 20 times asking the identical question