(LifeSiteNews) — A new poll revealed that most Canadians say they are worse off financially compared with before the Trudeau government took power.
According to a December survey by Nanos Research, 53% of Canadians reported that their personal finances are worse now than they were eight years ago before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came into power, with most listing finances the most important factor in voting.
“When the economy is flat and people worry about paying the bills, they get grumpy and look to punish the incumbent government,” said Nik Nanos, the polling firm’s chief data scientist.
“If you are struggling to pay for housing or the groceries, you might think, ‘What do I have to lose with a change in government?’” he added.
The research, commissioned by Bloomberg News, revealed that only 24% reported being better off financially now compared with eight years ago, and 21% said there had been no change.
According to the research, those most likely to have been negatively affected financially were 35 to 54 years old, with 61% of that age group reporting being worse off since the Trudeau government took power.
The poll further revealed that 45% listed “cost of living/inflation (housing, groceries, energy bills)” as the most important factor when casting their vote. Most of those who view finances as paramount in voting are among the younger voters, with just under six-in-10 who are 18- to 36-year-old listing it as the most important factor.
In comparison, only 14% of those polled considered “environment/climate change” to be the most important issue, and 12% listed health care.
Canadians’ increased financial concerns come as house prices have shot up due to short supply in the market, and speculative buying and interest rates have risen to highs not seen for decades.
Canada’s interest rate sits at 5%. At this same time in 2021, interest rates were 0.25%.
Additionally, food costs are expected to increase by $700 per family in 2024 amid Trudeau’s ongoing carbon tax. According to the November research, the total grocery bill for a family of four in 2024 is projected to be $16,297.20, which is a $701.79 increase from last year.
“The carbon tax makes grocery prices more expensive,” Canadian Taxpayer Federation director Franco Terrazzano told LifeSiteNews at the time.
“When Trudeau’s carbon tax makes it more expensive for farmers to grow food and truckers to deliver food, his carbon tax makes it more expensive for families to buy food,” he explained.
“The carbon tax will cost Canadian farmers $1 billion by 2030. The government could make groceries more affordable for Canadians by scrapping the carbon tax.”
Canadians are also struggling to pay energy bills and heat their homes again due to Trudeau’s carbon tax, which is framed as a way to reduce carbon emissions but has cost Canadians hundreds more annually despite rebates.
The increased costs are only expected to rise, as a recent report revealed that a carbon tax of more than $350 per tonne is needed to reach Trudeau’s net-zero goals by 2050.
Currently, Canadians living in provinces under the federal carbon pricing scheme pay $65 per tonne, but the Trudeau government has a goal of $170 per tonne by 2030.
Early last year, the Bank of Canada acknowledged that Trudeau’s federal “climate change” programs, which have been deemed “extreme” by some provincial leaders, are indeed helping to fuel inflation.
The Trudeau government’s current environmental goals – which are in lockstep with the United Nations’ “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” – include phasing out coal-fired power plants, reducing fertilizer usage, and curbing natural gas use over the coming decades.
The reduction and eventual elimination of so-called “fossil fuels” and a transition to unreliable “green” energy has also been pushed by the World Economic Forum (WEF) – the globalist group behind the socialist “Great Reset” agenda in which Trudeau and some of his cabinet are involved.