Survey shows that many Canadians doubt the new tax will improve the economy or housing affordability
According to a poll by Nanos Research Group for Bloomberg News, a larger percentage of Canadians hold a negative view of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's proposed increase in the capital-gains tax than those who view it positively.
The survey found that 45 percent of respondents believe the tax changes would diminish investments and innovation, potentially weakening the economy. In contrast, 38 percent consider the increase fair, arguing it could reduce the disparity between the rich and poor, while the rest remained uncertain.
Last month, according to BNN Bloomberg, the government's budget outlined plans to increase the taxation on Canadian companies' capital gains from half to two-thirds.
This tax change is also set to affect individual taxpayers with gains exceeding C$250,000 ($183,000) annually, although tax exemptions will still apply to primary residences sold by these taxpayers.
The revenue from the tax increase is earmarked for various programs, including efforts to make housing more affordable for younger Canadians. However, the poll indicates that these initiatives have not significantly swayed public opinion.
The debate on the capital-gains tax increase seems to have overshadowed other aspects of the federal budget. Tracking data post-budget from Nanos suggests that the opposition Conservatives maintain a lead of 18 percentage points over Trudeau’s ruling Liberals, with an election looming in 2025.
Nik Nanos, the chief data scientist, and founder of Nanos Research, expressed, “If the budget was intended as a potential reset of the Liberal government agenda in order to help close the gap with the Conservatives, the research suggests it is unlikely to succeed.”
Businesses have vocally criticized the proposed tax increase, warning that it could aggravate the nation's investment and productivity challenges.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has not yet introduced the legislation for this tax change but defended the policy as a fair measure, aimed at those prospering in the current economy, to contribute a bit more.
Regionally, residents of the Prairie provinces, a key hub for Canada’s energy industry, are particularly likely to believe that these changes will weaken the economy, more so than those in Quebec or Atlantic Canada.
This sentiment is more pronounced among younger Canadians, which poses a significant concern for Trudeau, especially since these demographic shifts contrast with the support patterns observed during the 2015 elections that brought him to power.
Despite the government introducing a new housing strategy in the budget, which includes freeing up federal land for homebuilding and extending mortgage payment periods for first-time buyers, a substantial 80 percent of Canadians across all age groups remain pessimistic.
They doubt that housing affordability will improve over the next five years.
