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Politics Briefing: Trudeau confident police can handle displays of hate symbols at upcoming biker protest in Ottawa – The Globe and Mail

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Hello,

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is confident police will be able to handle any displays of hate symbols at this weekend’s planned biker protest in Ottawa.

“We trust the police to enforce the laws as necessary when it comes to this weekend, when it comes to any given day,” Mr. Trudeau said during a news conference in Montreal on Friday, when asked about the issue.

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Hundreds of motorcycles are expected to roll into the nation’s capital this weekend for what the organizers say will be a peaceful celebration of freedom. The event – called Rolling Thunder Ottawa – has raised concerns about a possible repeat of the trucker convoy protest that paralyzed the city for weeks earlier this year. Kristy Kirkup and Michelle Carbert report on the motorcycle protest here and here.

The Prime Minister was asked about a declaration from Ottawa’s interim police chief that displays of hate symbols like swastikas would result in charges at the biker protest, and the reality that it’s not against the law to display a swastika in Canada.

In response, Mr. Trudeau said, in part, government will defend the right of Canadians to express their agreement or disagreement with governments, but added, “It is not legal to incite violence or to propagate hateful messages. There are laws against that.”

Earlier this month, Mr. Trudeau spoke about the issue of hate crimes, suggesting they can be linked to the COVID-19 pandemic and greater political polarization. There’s a story here on that issue.

This is the daily Politics Briefing newsletter, written by Ian Bailey. It is available exclusively to our digital subscribers. If you’re reading this on the web, subscribers can sign up for the Politics newsletter and more than 20 others on our newsletter signup page. Have any feedback? Let us know what you think.

TODAY’S HEADLINES

FOUR DEAD AT RMC – Four cadets at the Royal Military College in Kingston have been killed in a incident involving a motor vehicle. Emergency crews responded to an incident at approximately 2 a.m. Friday at Point Frederick on the RMC campus. The Department of National Defence confirmed Friday afternoon that the cadets had died in the incident. Story here.

MODERNA SEEKS CLEARANCE FOR CHILDREN’S VACCINE – Moderna, Inc. has officially asked Health Canada to authorize its COVID-19 vaccine for children as young as six months old, making the company the first to seek Canadian approval to inoculate babies, toddlers and preschoolers against the pandemic virus. Story here.

P.E.I WANTS TO RENAME CONFEDERATION BRIDGE – Members of the Prince Edward Island legislature voted unanimously Friday to ask the federal government to change the name of the Confederation Bridge to Epekwitk Crossing. Epekwitk is the Mi’kmaq word for “something lying on the water,” and it is the traditional name the Mi’kmaq people have long used to describe the Island. Story here.

EX-ETHICS COMMISSIONER NEVER CONSIDERED ASKING RCMP TO PROBE PM – Mary Dawson said she never thought of calling in the RCMP to investigate Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for fraud when she ruled as the then-federal ethics commissioner that he had broken conflict of interest rules by taking an all-expense paid trip to the Aga Khan’s private island in the Bahamas in 2016. Story here.

BLOC CRITICIZES LIBERAL, NDP DEAL – The Bloc Québécois joined the Conservatives in criticizing a deal between the Liberals and NDP on the Winnipeg lab documents that would circumvent parliamentary committees and give the records instead to a group of MPs under parameters drawn up by the government. Story here.

AUTOMATIC BLOOD BAN OVER – The federal government will no longer automatically ban sexually active gay and bisexual men from donating blood to Canadian Blood Services, ending a policy that has long been criticized as discriminatory and lacking in scientific justification. Story here.

DETAILS OF ONTARIO BUDGET – Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy unveiled a pre-election budget on Thursday that lists various previously announced plans but also pledges more money for long-term plans to expand hospitals and build highways. However, it puts off eliminating the province’s deficit for another six years. Story here. There’s a highlights package here.

FORMER TRANSLATOR FOR CANADIAN AFGHAN MISSION IN LIMBO – From Berlin, parliamentary reporter Janice Dickson tells the story of Jawed Haqmal, an Afghan national who used to work as a translator for the Canadian military in Afghanistan, and is now in Germany, with his family. He had expected a quick resettlement in Canada, where the federal government promised them and other Afghans refuge. But the federal immigration bureaucracy has since refused to clear the Haqmals for arrival, and won’t publicly say why. Story here.

AUDITOR-GENERAL SEEKS BUDGET REFORM – Canada’s Auditor-General is relaunching a crusade for a new budgeting process that will protect her independence and ensure the office is properly funded to carry out the work of her mandate. Story here from Policy Options.

CANADA’S SOMILILAND COMMUNITY SEEKS FEDERAL HELP – Members of Canada’s Somaliland community have been meeting with MPs to push for federal emergency funding relief in the region after a fire devastated its largest commercial market. Story here.

CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP RACE

KEY DEADLINE IN LEADERSHIP RACE – Friday is the deadline to submit information to become “verified” candidates in the race to become the next Conservative leader. To meet that threshold, candidates, by 5 p.m. ET, must submit the required number of endorsement signatures – 500 party members residing in no fewer than 30 electoral districts representing no fewer than seven different provinces/territories – as well as the $200,000 registration fee, plus a $100,000 compliance deposit. As of 3 p.m. ET, the verified candidates, according to the party website, are Scott Aitchison, Roman Baber, Patrick Brown, Jean Charest, Leslyn Lewis and Pierre Poilievre. Unverified are Grant Abraham, Leona Alleslev, Joseph Bourgault, Marc Dalton, and Joel Etienne. The rules and procedures of the leadership are here.

POILIEVRE RIVALS REBUT HIS BANKING POLICY – As Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre says he would oppose a public digital currency backed by the Bank of Canada and would increase parliamentary oversight of the central bank, some of his rivals respond to the Ottawa MP’s sharp criticisms of the central bank. Story here.

MANNING WARNS AGAINST PERSONAL ATTACKS – Former Reform Party leader Preston Manning is urging Conservative leadership contenders to lay off their personal attacks on each other, arguing they risk damaging the party’s image with voters. Story here from CBC.

THIS AND THAT

TODAY IN THE COMMONS – Projected Order of Business at the House of Commons, April. 29, accessible here.

THE DECIBEL

On Friday’s edition of The Globe and Mail podcast, Janice Dickson, a parliamentary reporter for The Globe, provides an update on the journey of Jawed Haqmal. (See today’s headlines). The Decibel is here.

PRIME MINISTER’S DAY

In Montreal, the Prime Minister held private meetings, made a healthcare announcement, held a media availability, and was scheduled to participate in a Q&A discussion on the federal budget with Conseil du patronat du Québec President and CEO Karl Blackburn. Later, he was scheduled, in the Greater Toronto Area, to meet with Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti. Mr. Trudeau was also scheduled to attend a Liberal fundraising event in Toronto.

LEADERS

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, in Victoria, addresses delegates at the 58th annual CUPE B.C. convention.

No scheduled released for other party leaders.

OPINION

The Globe and Mail Editorial Board on how the Prime Minister has a loophole for conflict of interest:Is anyone else as mystified as we are by the latest developments in the endless saga of Justin Trudeau’s all-expenses-paid family holiday on the private island of a man whose foundation lobbied for and received hundreds of millions of federal government dollars? The story is now in its sixth year, having been revived this month by the revelation that the RCMP considered filing fraud charges over the matter against the Prime Minister, but didn’t do so for a bizarre reason that we will get to below.”

Patrick Brethour (The Globe and Mail) on how Doug Ford is following the federal Liberals with a laid-back approach to tackling deficits in Ontario 2022 budget:Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives are heading down the fiscal path carved out by the federal Liberals, with a leisurely approach to unwinding the debt burden of the pandemic’s economic shock that sidesteps any serious austerity measures. Despite their very different political brands, Doug Ford’s PCs and Justin Trudeau’s Liberals have laid out remarkably similar plans, in the federal budget three weeks ago, and Ontario’s on Thursday. And the framing of the economic challenge facing Canadians and Ontarians is similar, too.”

Andrew Coyne (The Globe and Mail) on how the alternative to state regulation of Twitter is not `anything goes, ‘but rather editorial judgement: Enter Elon Musk. Much of the hysteria surrounding his takeover bid seems overblown. The site is such a mess as it is that it is hard to see how he could make it much worse; some of his proposals, such as opening its algorithms to public scrutiny and weeding out the bots, even have the potential to improve it. What gives people pause, nevertheless, are his stated views on the question of what sort of moderation, if any, to impose on its often vile content. A self-professed “free speech absolutist,” Mr. Musk has referred to Twitter, grandiosely, as “the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated.” Accordingly, he has seemed to suggest that the only guide to what is prohibited on Twitter should be what is prohibited by law.”

Gary Mason (The Globe and Mail) on how politicians are selling us a myth on housing: that more supply will be our salvation: “Politicians are lying to us all about housing prices: taming the problem will not exclusively entail adding supply. So what should be done? For starters, there needs to be a crackdown on individuals and corporations buying up real estate for their investment portfolios. In places like Toronto and Vancouver, this represents as much as 30 per cent of the market. Put a hefty surcharge on these purchases as they’ve done in other world cities, and watch the demand soften. So what if several of our federal and provincial politicians are among those investors who own multiple properties? They are also among those flipping homes, an activity that is also contributing to rising valuations. Yet, nothing gets done about it.”

Narges Mohammadi (Contributed to The Globe and Mail) on how her fight for justice in Iran has cost her dearly but will be worth it: By the time you read this, I probably will have been taken back to Tehran’s notorious Qarchak prison. As I write this, I have been given a temporary medical release from jail. I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to tell you my story. On Nov. 16, 2021, I was arrested for the 12th time. This was the fourth time in the past three decades that I have been subjected to this horrific torture: solitary confinement. Repeated exposure to solitary confinement does not make it normal and habitual – rather it inflicts more and more anguish and suffering on the human spirit and body.”

Got a news tip that you’d like us to look into? E-mail us at tips@globeandmail.com. Need to share documents securely? Reach out via SecureDrop.

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Federal government promising a 'renters' bill of rights' in upcoming budget – CBC.ca

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that his government will introduce new measures — including a new “bill of rights” — that he says will help protect those who rent their homes as part of the upcoming budget.

Trudeau said the new measures are specifically geared toward younger people, who are renting more than previous generations.

“It’s about changing the rules of the game in a way that meets young people where they are,” he said on Wednesday.

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Ottawa will work with provinces and territories to develop a “renters’ bill of rights” that would introduce a national standard lease agreement and implement requirements for landlords to disclose an apartment’s pricing history to allow tenants to negotiate their rent.

The new measures will also include a $15-million fund for provincial legal aid organizations that help tenants fight against “renovictions” and landlord abuse.

The Liberals are also proposing to change federal rules so that making rental payments on time will count toward someone’s credit scores, something Trudeau said is meant to help renters looking to one day buy a house.

“If you look at someone who pays a $2,000 [per month] mortgage, they’re getting recognition and credit for that from their bank as part of their credit score,” the prime minister said.

“But if you’re paying $2,000 a month on rent, you get no kudos.”

Typically the government doesn’t discuss what is in an annual budget until it is introduced in the House of Commons. But the announcement was made weeks prior to the release of the Liberals’ next budget, which is slated to drop on April 16.

Releasing tidbits from the budget ahead of time is part of a new communications strategy for the Liberals, sources told CBC News. Trudeau and his ministers are expected to make a number of similar announcements in the run-up to the budget, the sources said.

WATCH | Trudeau says new measures aim to help tenants: 

Liberals promise ‘renters’ bill of rights’ to fight housing crisis

5 hours ago

Duration 2:07

The Liberals are looking to create a ‘renters’ bill of rights’ to help deal with Canada’s housing crisis. Justin Trudeau says the plan is geared toward younger people suffering from a rising cost of living. The Conservatives call the measures meaningless.

Before revealing the planned rental measures on Wednesday, Trudeau took a moment to plug the April 16 fiscal plan, saying that the budget will be about “fairness.”

“For Canada to succeed, we need everyone to succeed,” he said.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland joined Trudeau for his announcement and hinted about further announcements ahead of budget day.

“Over the coming days and in the April budget, we are going to launch a no-holds-barred plan to wrestle down the cost of owning and renting a home,” she said.

Wednesday’s announcements came on the same day that the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation released a report that found a surge in new apartment construction drove housing start increases in several major Canadian cities last year.

But the report also cautions that demand continues to outweigh supply.

The opposition Conservatives, who have enjoyed a healthy lead in recent polls, have made housing — and other cost-of-living issues — a key point of attack against the governing Liberals.

Following his announcement, Trudeau was asked whether he thinks he bears any responsibility for people feeling left behind in the current economy and whether the new measures would be enough to convince younger people to support him in the next election.

In response, Trudeau suggested that a recent rise in the cost of living is not unique to Canada.

“Young people who are key to our present, and obviously key to our future, are seeing a system that is stacked against them. That’s true in Canada but also true elsewhere around the world,” he said. “What we’re focused on now is making sure that young people can see their success in the economy.”

Opposition parties criticize Liberal announcement

Scott Aitchison, the Conservative housing critic, said Wednesday’s announcement was Liberal posturing that won’t get results.

“Today’s photo op is just another set of meaningless measures that won’t result in building the homes Canadians need,” he said in a statement.

NDP housing critic Jenny Kwan criticized the announcement for not going far enough.

“The Liberals are so out of touch with what Canadian renters are experiencing that they keep offering half-measures instead of a real action,” Kwan said in a statement.

The NDP is calling on the government to invest more in affordable housing while temporarily preventing for-profit firms from buying designated affordable-housing spaces.

WATCH | Liberal government promises better protections for renters in upcoming budget: 

Liberal government promises better protections for renters in upcoming budget

9 hours ago

Duration 11:39

The Liberal government unveiled three new proposals Wednesday to better protect renters in Canada. Power & Politics speaks to Marci Ien, minister of women, gender equality and youth, about the proposed protections.

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‘Hillary was right’: Lifelong GOP voter on why he is leaving party – CNN

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‘Hillary was right’: Lifelong GOP voter on why he is leaving party

Texas Trey, a lifelong Republican voter, speaks with CNN’s Laura Coates about why he plans to leave the party before the 2024 election.


01:38

– Source:
CNN

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Alberta Politics: UCP ahead of NDP by 15-points. Naheed Nenshi is the most well-known and well-liked NDP.

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From March 14 to 21, 2024, Abacus Data conducted a survey of 1,000 Alberta adults exploring several topics as part of our regular national omnibus surveys.

This is the first time we have fielded one of our public surveys in Alberta since Rachel Notley announced she was stepping down as NDP leader, triggering a leadership election. This survey was also completed prior to the announcement on Tuesday morning by NDP MLA Rakhi Pancholi that she is dropping out of the NDP leadership race and endorsing Naheed Nenshi.

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In this report, we share results of the core political opinion questions, a bit of a deep-dive on impressions of the provincial government led by Danielle Smith, and a look at how Albertans feel about the NDP leadership candidates and how they perform in hypothetical match-ups with Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party.

The UCP holds a 15-point lead over the Alberta NDP

If a provincial election were held today, 55% of committed Alberta adults would vote UCP while 40% would vote Alberta NDP. 2% would vote for the Alberta Party while 2% would vote for another party. Since our last survey in October 2023, the UCP is down 1 while the NDP is unchanged.

Since the 2023 provincial election, the NDP is down 4 while the UCP is up 2.

Regionally, the UCP is ahead by 8 in Calgary (52% to 44%) and 38 in other communities outside Calgary and Edmonton-proper. In Edmonton, the Alberta NDP is ahead by 11 (53% to 42%).

The UCP lead by 22 among men, 7 among women and holds a commanding 39-point lead among Albertans aged 60+. Among those under 45 the two parties are basically tied.

When it comes to how Albertans feel about the performance of the Danielle Smith government, 32% approve while 38% disapprove. In Calgary, the Smith government’s net approval is -13, in Edmonton it is -20, and in the rest of the province it is +11.

Impressions of the two main party leaders are fairly similar. 38% of Albertans have a positive impression of Premier Smith while 40% have a negative impression for a net score of -1. NDP Leader Rachel Notley has a net score of -12, with 31% viewing her positively and 43% negatively.

How do Albertans feel about the provincial government?

Respondents were asked to choose phrases or words that describe the Smith government. We asked the same question to our national sample about the Trudeau government and to a large sample in Ontario about the provincial government led by Danielle Smith. We will share results of those results in the coming days.

In Alberta, views of the Smith government are mixed but generally more positive than how people feel about the Ford government in Ontario or the Trudeau government federally.

More than half of Albertans feel the Smith government is “clear on what it wants Alberta to be” rather than “unclear on what it wants Alberta to be”. Half thinks the government is “focused” while 33% think it is “distracted”. More feel it is “effective” than “ineffective” and about equal numbers feels the government is “focused on the right priorities” rather than “focused on the wrong priorities”.

34% describe the government as “unifying” while 42% think it is “divisive” and 43% describes it as “proactive”, more than feel it is “reactive”.

Overall, for a government that has taken on some controversial issues, these results suggest it is seen positively and in the right frame with a sizeable portion of the population.

But we also asked respondents whether they feel the provincial government is sufficiently focused on or addressing several key issues. Areas where most Albertans want to see the government more focused include “managing the cost of living” (60%) and “improving the healthcare system” (58). Another 52% think it could be more focused on “keeping your taxes as low as possible”.

In contrast, the provincial government is more likely to be seen as sufficiently focused on “standing up for Alberta” (49%) and “growing the Alberta economy” (37%).

One area where there’s more neutral views is on climate change. 38% of Albertans feel the provincial government could be more focused on it, 28% think it is moderately or highly focused on it, while 34% are either neutral or unsure about it.

These results suggest that so far, the Smith government has done a pretty good job managing expectations and signalling to its coalition that it’s sufficiently handling the top issues people report are important to them.

The Alberta NDP Leadership Race

In this survey, we also asked several questions regarding the Alberta NDP leadership election.

We started by assessing the impressions people have of the six candidates running to be Alberta NDP leader. A few things stand out:

1 Naheed Nenshi is by far the most well known of the candidates. 74% of Albertans had an impression of Mr. Nenshi, significantly higher than Sarah Hoffman (49%), Kathleen Ganley (60%), Rakhi Pancholi (39%), Hil McGowan (39%), or Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse (37%).

2. Naheed Nenshi is also the only candidate who has a clear net positive impression. 31% of Albertans have a positive view of him compared with 23% who have a negative view for a net score of +8. Kathleen Ganley is the only other candidate with a net positive, but just barely at +1.

3. Nenshi’s net scores are +14 in Calgary, +9 in Edmonton, and -1 in the rest of the province. Sarah Hoffman’s net scores are +2 in Edmonton, -6 in Calgary, and -3 in the rest of the province. Note, only 42% of Albertans outside the two largest cities have an impression of Ms. Hoffman.

And so apart from Mr. Nenshi, none of the other leadership candidates are household names (they rarely are in leadership races) and Mr. Nenshi has a substantial advantage when it comes to name recognition and favourability.

Now, we also tested five of the candidate in hypothetical matchups with Danielle Smith and the UCP.

From that exercise we learned a few things:

None of the leadership candidates perform as well as Rachel Notley as part of our main ballot question although Naheed Nenshi performs better than anyone else. This is likely more about his name recognition than any ability to attract Albertans who wouldn’t otherwise vote NDP – except in Calgary.

When we look at the regional dynamics, a few things stand out. In Edmonton, no one performs as well as Rachel Notley currently does. The main ballot question has the NDP ahead by 11. In all of the hypotheticals, that gap drops considerable.

In Calgary, Nenshi performs best, turning an 8 point UCP lead into a statistical tie. None of the other candidates perform better than Rachel Notley currently in Calgary.

Outside of Edmonton and Calgary, Nenshi performance as well as Notley but with all other possible NDP leaders the UCP lead grows.

Finally, another way to look at the potential impact of each NDP leadership candidate to shake up vote intentions to see how much of NDP support they retain and how much support they attract from other parties.

Naheed Nenshi does the best at attracting new supporters and retaining more of the current NDP support base. Sarah Hoffman retains more of the NDP base than other candidates, except for Nenshi, but attracts slightly less UCP and other party supporters than Nenshi. All the other candidates hold 2 in 3 current NDP supporters or less and attract few UCP candidates.

But the big takeaway is how little UCP support is attracted to any of the candidates at the moment demonstrating the level of polarization in Alberta at the moment.

It is also worth noting that given Nenshi name recognition advantage, this comparison isn’t a perfect measure of potential opportunity or risk for the other candidates but it does clearly show how challenging it will be for any of these candidates, if elected leader, to grow the NDP support base. Nenshi likely has the best chance and right now is the lower risk at losing existing NDP support.

Find out more about the The Three Threads and how the Abacus Data team looks
at polling for public affairs and advocacy.

The Upshot

According to Abacus Data CEO David Coletto: “In reflecting on the findings of our recent survey, it’s clear that Premier Danielle Smith’s position in Alberta politics remains robust ten months into her mandate.

Retaining the support garnered in the last election, her government appears not only to have maintained its winning coalition but also enjoys a reasonably favourable approval rating amidst challenging economic conditions. This standing is especially notable when compared to incumbents in other provinces.

The Smith government is perceived as having a distinct mission and vision, demonstrating effectiveness in its undertakings, and maintaining focus on what many Albertans deem the right priorities, despite criticisms around certain initiatives like the Alberta Pension Plan and on-going disputes with Ottawa – which Albertans recognize as an area the government has focused a lot on.

The Alberta NDP leadership race introduces an intriguing dynamic, particularly with Naheed Nenshi’s advantage on name recognition and favourability among the candidates. His recent endorsement by former leadership candidate and NDP MLA Rakhi Pancholi, coupled with claims of a significant increase in party membership, underscores his potential to translate personal brand into political capital. This development is crucial in leadership contests, where the ability to mobilize new members can decisively tilt the scales. Nenshi’s profile offers the Alberta NDP a formidable asset in its leadership transition, highlighting the strategic importance of both visibility and organizational support in such contests.

However, the broader challenge for the Alberta NDP, and indeed for any leader emerging from its ongoing leadership race, lies in positioning the party as a credible and appealing alternative to the United Conservative Party under Danielle Smith. Despite a leadership race that has garnered national attention, the ultimate electoral test will be in persuading UCP supporters to change their preferences. More akin to convincing cola drinkers to stop drinking cola than switching from Pepsi to Coke.

Premier Smith’s brand, characterized by having a clear vision and a focus on priority issues for Albertans, sets a high bar. The evolving political landscape in Alberta, shaped by both individual leadership qualities and collective party dynamics, continues to be a compelling study in contrasts and possibilities.”

Methodology

The survey was conducted with 1,000 Alberta adults from March 16 to 21, 2024. A random sample of panelists were invited to complete the survey from a set of partner panels based on the Lucid exchange platform. These partners are typically double opt-in survey panels, blended to manage out potential skews in the data from a single source.

The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of the same size is +/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20.

The data were weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched Canada’s population according to age, gender, educational attainment, and region. Totals may not add up to 100 due to rounding.

This survey was paid for by Abacus Data Inc.

Abacus Data follows the CRIC Public Opinion Research Standards and Disclosure Requirements that can be found here:  https://canadianresearchinsightscouncil.ca/standards/

ABOUT ABACUS DATA

We are Canada’s most sought-after, influential, and impactful polling and market research firm. We are hired by many of North America’s most respected and influential brands and organizations.

We use the latest technology, sound science, and deep experience to generate top-flight research-based advice to our clients. We offer global research capacity with a strong focus on customer service, attention to detail, and exceptional value.

And we are growing throughout all parts of Canada and the United States and have capacity for new clients who want high quality research insights with enlightened hospitality.

Our record speaks for itself: we were one of the most accurate pollsters conducting research during the 2021 Canadian election following up on our outstanding record in the 2019, 2015, and 2011 federal elections.

 

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