Back To The Future

In voting Liberal, Canadians made deliberate decision to restore values of civility, kindness and inclusion

OTTAWA, Oct. 22, 2015 /CNW/ - Today, Ensight presented the results of Canada's only genuine exit poll, which revealed that in voting for the Liberals, Canadians have gone "back to the future." Voters made a deliberate decision to restore the values they view as traditionally defining Canada and Canadian society, including civility, kindness and inclusion.

"At a time when economic uncertainty and geopolitical turmoil are creating stress, Canadians have a diminished threshold for fear mongering, confrontation and division at home," said Jaime Watt, principal at Ensight. "In turn, voters embraced Trudeau's agenda of hope and optimism, at the core of what they perceive as the values traditionally defining Canada, by giving the Liberal party a majority mandate."

Canadians' deliberate decision to restore a specific set of values and priorities will inform every policy and every sector in the coming years.

"Canadians' embrace of a positive, hopeful vision will compel our new government to usher in an era of greater co-operation and collaboration," said Lindsay Maskall, director at Ensight and a senior Liberal campaign veteran. "For Canada's business community, there is a clear opportunity to participate using a tone, vocabulary and positioning that complements and advances the Liberal's substantive agenda."

The results, however, were not a complete repudiation of the Conservative party and its record of the past 10 years. Rather, the loss was a personal rejection of a leader who had come to be seen by voters as mean-spirited and needlessly divisive.

"Voters rejected a leader they perceived as the antithesis of the values, tone and optimism they now crave," added Watt. "Trudeau's high energy and fresh approach, as well as a clearly-articulated vision and agenda for Canada's future inspired the right blend of optimism and confidence."

To learn more about Ensight's post-election research study, visit ensightcanada.com/post-election-2015/.

Methodology:

Ensight conducted two components of a programme of research: four waves of national quantitative research; and exit research through a series of 12 focus groups across Canada.

Quantitative research included four nation-wide studies of 1,200 respondents each in March, June, August and October 2015 in advance of the election. The surveys examined Canadians' assessments of the issues and drivers of voting decisions.

Qualitative research including 10 focus groups in five cities across Canada, including Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Quebec City and Halifax. In addition, Ensight hosted two online discussion sessions with young and rural voters.

About Ensight:

Ensight is Canada's leading national public affairs firm with offices across Canada. Our professionals have a deep understanding of the complex Ottawa landscape and the decision makers within it. ENsight was created out of a strategic partnership between Enterprise Canada Inc. and Navigator ten years ago, to serve clients in today's challenging public policy environment. Today, the expertise of our team, regardless of political stripe, is simply unmatched. This is Ensight's fourth post-election research project. The company's three previous studies yielded results that contradicted the conventional wisdom at the time, but ultimately proved to be remarkably accurate.

SOURCE Ensight

Darryl Konynenbelt, 416.642.5000 (o), 647.203.4340 (c), [email protected]