More Canadians trusting governments as COVID pandemic fades: poll – National

An annual survey on how trusting Canadians are suggests their faith in governments is rebounding as the COVID-19 pandemic begins to fade.

The 2023 CanTrust Index published by Proof Strategies surveyed 1,502 adults online between Jan. 5 and Jan. 13 but cannot be given a margin of error because internet polls are not considered random samples.

Last year’s survey suggested after two years of pandemic anxiety, lockdowns and ricocheting COVID-19 rules, trust in governments had plummeted to new lows with just 22 per cent of those surveyed saying they trusted governments.

This year that rose to 37 per cent, the highest it has been in this survey since 2018.

“I think we’re kind of getting back to a more normal Canada,” said Proof CEO Bruce MacLellan.

“And you know, nowadays it’s not common to find increases in trust in a trust survey, so it’s definitely a good sign.”

He said what struck him from the results is that Canadians don’t think very highly of political parties.

When asked whether they see political parties as a “unifying force” or “divisive force” in Canadian society, 56 per cent of those surveyed said they were divisive.

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Do Canadians trust their government? Experts say stats paint surface-level picture

NDP supporters were the most likely to say parties are divisive, at 65 per cent, compared with 62 per cent of Conservative supporters. Liberals supporters were the least concerned about it, with 52 per cent listing political parties as divisive.

Some organizations that had bad press in 2022 took a hit in the trust factor. CTV, whose high-profile firing of longtime…