KEY FINDINGS
April 19, 2013: CARP members are asked to suggest the necessary pace for issues where the organization advocates. In almost all cases (with the exception of older workers, in which case opinion was evenly split), the majority call for bold political action now, rather than incremental steps. Almost no one says no action is needed (except, once again, with respect to older workers). Issues which attract especially strong calls to action include equal accessibility to health care and home care.
In cases where some action has been taken by governments or in the recent federal budget, on most issues, members are evenly split between those seeing these measures as a good first step, and those seeing no real progress at all. The one exception to this is Alberta’s pharmacare plan, which is seen to be both a good first step and a bold political move.
Members believe strongly in backbencher independence in Parliament, either because the MP’s constituents want it, or because he or she wants it. Members are somewhat split on e-petitions in parliament, with the majority favouring them, but a substantial minority worrying about them being rigged.
Ontario residents are most eager to see the provincial ombudsman’s mandate expanded to cover nursing homes and hospitals, or to see more funding for LTC and home care in the coming budget.
When members use a 10-point scale to rate accessibility and quality of health care in Canada, neither does particularly well, both scoring below the mid-point, on average.
The NDP continues to decline in our poll, and the Liberals to grow, but now the Conservatives have started to decline as well, which mirrors general population electoral polls which are current.
Click here to download the full poll report
