Some Canadians have become 'political orphans' as parties have become 'too extreme': survey

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rises during question period in Ottawa on May 1, 2024. (Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press)

More than one-third of Canadians believe the country's two biggest political parties, the federal Liberals and Conservatives, have become more extreme and have moved away from the middle when it comes to their political beliefs, according to a new survey.

"As federal political parties take turns labelling the other as extremists, there is widespread belief that political options are abandoning the middle," non-profit Angus Reid Institute wrote in a press release Thursday.

Overall, about one-third (36 per cent) of Canadians surveyed describe themselves as "political orphans" who find that all parties are "too extreme," the survey found. This finding includes half (47 per cent) of respondents who consider themselves a part of the political middle.

“Those who put themselves on the left and right edges on the spectrum are least likely to believe the parties are too extreme,” Angus Reid Institute wrote.

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In addition, many Canadians believe the federal Liberals and Conservatives have moved away from the middle in terms of political beliefs, according to the survey.

Nearly half of respondents (48 per cent) say the Conservative Party of Canada has shifted either “a bit” (19 per cent) or “much more” (29 per cent) to the right.

“The belief that the Conservatives have moved more right in recent years is strongest among self-described left-wingers,” Angus Reid Institute wrote in its commentary for the survey.

On the flip side, 43 per cent of respondents say the Liberal Party of Canada has moved “a bit” (14 per cent), or “a lot more” (29 per cent) to the left. Those who describe themselves as very left-wing believe the party has moved to the right in recent years (41 per cent), while nearly as many (38 per cent) say the party has stayed the same politically.

“The belief the Liberals have moved more left becomes near unanimous the further right-ward the respondent is along the political spectrum,” Angus Reid Institute wrote.

About half in Quebec (51 per cent) say the Bloc Québécois has stayed the same on the political spectrum – neither moving left nor right -- in recent years. Among those who believe the party has shifted, more say it moved to the left (15 per cent) than right (10 per cent).

As well, Canadians surveyed are as likely to believe the NDP has stayed put (36 per cent) as moved farther to the left (34 per cent).

It’s also those on the right who are most likely to believe the NDP has shifted to the left, Angus Reid Institute wrote. “Those on the left are more likely to believe the party has stayed in the same place.”

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Meanwhile, near equal numbers of those in the middle believe the NDP has moved left (31 per cent) as stayed the same, it added.

Many Canadians also expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of political parties they feel reflect their views.

"This sense of political polarization is accompanied by a wider spread disaffection with the federal political scene," according to the press release.

Nearly half (48 per cent) say they don't have an option to vote for a party that "really represents" their views.

This sentiment is highest among those who say they are political centrists (55 per cent) and those who believe they are more left-wing than right-wing (54 per cent). It’s lowest among those who consider themselves right-wing (38 per cent) or very right-wing (16 per cent).

Angus Reid noted that two-in-five current Conservative (40 per cent) and Liberal (39 per cent) supporters believe they don’t have political options that represent their views. This also applies to 58 per cent more likely NDP voters and 55 per cent of Bloc Québécois voters.

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Other findings

When describing their own political beliefs, two in five respondents (39 per cent) -- the biggest group surveyed -- say they are “somewhere in the middle” of the spectrum between progressive politics on the left and small-“c” conservative politics on the right.

More Canadians surveyed described themselves as being “left” (36 per cent) on the political spectrum than being on the “right” (24 per cent).

Additionally, men older than 54 are the most likely to describe themselves as “right-wing” (38 per cent), while most women (53 per cent) under 35 say they are “left-wing.”

Women older than 54 were most likely to say they are centrists at 47 per cent.

The political spectrum for each province aligns with historical voting records, according to Angus Reid Institute. More “progressives” were in B.C. (41 per cent) and Manitoba (39 per cent), while more “conservatives” were in Alberta (37 per cent) and Saskatchewan (41 per cent).

Most respondents who identified as centrists, or in the middle of the political spectrum, were in Quebec (47 per cent).

Desire for new party

Nearly half (47 per cent) say there should be a mainstream centrist federal political party, including most who consider themselves centrist (53 per cent).

A new Canadian party is trying to position itself as a centrist alternative. In August, the Canadian Future Party announced it would run candidates in the upcoming Winnipeg and Montreal byelections.

Methodology

The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from Aug. 29 to Sept. 4 among a representative randomized sample of 1,602 Canadian adults who are part of the Angus Reid Forum. The survey was self-commissioned and paid for by the institute. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.