Immigration is top of mind for Canadian voters, eclipsing even climate change as one of the most pressing issues at the polls.
This is according to a national survey by Abacus Data, which conducted a poll in early June following the Bank of Canada’s interest rate cut, asking Canadians to rank their top social and economic issues.
According to the poll, immigration overtook climate change as the fifth top issue sometime in April, with 26% of Canadians polled ranked immigration as a key priority.
The top issue remains the rising cost of living with 73% of Canadians ranking it as their highest priority, followed by housing affordability at 47%, healthcare at 44% and the economy generally at 34%.
Abacus Data also found that the Conservative party has gained a substantial lead following the recent interest rate cut, leaving the Liberal party’s popularity dwindling to its lowest since 2015.
Federal vote intention for the Conservatives sits at 42% with the Liberals holding onto a meager 22%. Another 19% of Canadians said they would be voting for the NDP.
Canadians also largely preferred the Conservatives’ approach to immigration, economic management, crime prevention and international relations, particularly regarding China and Russia.
A recent Leger poll also revealed that recent immigrants were expressing apprehension over high immigration levels, potentially swaying their allegiance towards the Conservatives.
This sentiment is further compounded by the perception that the Liberal party’s current immigration strategy is overly permissive, with 42% of immigrant respondents advocating for a more measured intake.
The Conservative party has proposed a plan to align immigration numbers with the availability of jobs and housing, a move that could see a reduction in immigration. However, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has not provided an exact immigration target.
Conservative immigration critic Tom Kmiec recently voiced a commitment to establishing what he called sustainable immigration levels that reflect the country’s capacity for integration without providing a number.
“Whatever it comes out to, that will be the number,” Kmiec said on the Andrew Lawton Show in April. “If it’s lower, it’s lower. If it’s higher, it’s higher.”
