Last spring, the Department of Finance hired Harris/Decima research to poll Canadians on the current state of the economy and their concerns.
Not surprisingly, when Canadians were asked which issue the government should focus on, “the Economy” rated at number one on the list — but not for everyone. Women, the data show, put health care ahead of the economy.
And what of crime? The Harper government is spending a yet-unquantified number of billions of dollars on expanding prisons and reforming sentencing.
But if crime is a priority among Canadians, they aren’t telling pollsters. Only 2 per cent identified crime as the top issue, the same level as those who thought taxes are the number-one issue.
The poll combined telephone and online interviews of 2,101 respondents. The department paid $35,000 for the survey.