A large portion of Canadians believe that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is “arrogant,” “dishonest” and “corrupt,” a new Angus Reid poll reveals.
According to the Sept. 27 poll, 49% of respondents believed that the word “arrogant” best described the prime minister. Another 45% said they believed that Trudeau was “dishonest,” while 39% said he was “corrupt.”
37% of those polled picked the word “charismatic” to describe Trudeau while 36% said he was weak.
In comparison, 40% of Canadians said Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre was “arrogant.” Other words used to describe Poilievre include “strategic”, “bully” and “dishonest.”
The online survey was conducted from Sept. 19 to Sept. 22 and included a random sample of 5,014 Canadians over the age of 18. A poll with a similar probability size would have a margin of error of +/- 2% or 19, times out of 20.
When it comes to vote intention, the Conservatives are currently on top with 37% of the vote among decided or leaning voters. The Liberals have fallen down to 30%, while the NDP sit at 20%.
“The early returns from the Poilievre leadership tenure appear positive for the Conservative Party, as it has drawn back a number of disenchanted or new voters who voted for Maxime Bernier’s People’s Party last year,” wrote analysts.
When it comes to tackling specific issues, 44% of Canadians believed that Poilievre was best suited to tackle the federal deficit and 39% of Canadians believed the Carleton MP was the best suited to tackle cost of living, while 40% said the same about the economy.
Trudeau came out ahead of Poilievre on issues such as preserving Canada’s place in the world with 45% of Canadians finding the prime minister best suited for the role. 39% of Canadians also trusted Trudeau to manage health care and 44% picked him when it comes to tackling climate change.
A majority of Canadians, however, disapproved of the prime minister’s overall performance. 56% of voters said they disapproved of Trudeau while only 40% said they approved.
“Disapproval for Trudeau is much higher among men than women, with half of men over the age of 34 – and more than two-in-five younger than that – saying they strongly disapprove of the Liberal leader. Women over the age of 54 are the most likely demographic to positively appraise Trudeau,” wrote analysts.
