Research: It's Clear The Next Conservative Party of Canada Leader Must Regain The Lost "Green Conservative" Voter

Between the 2011-2015 election 53% of support lost by the Conservative Party of Canada supported climate action

TORONTO, Feb. 22, 2016 /CNW/ - Today, Canadians for Clean Prosperity launched a new research study showing that if the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) wants to return to power, they must address Canadian concerns for the environment.

Furthermore, the research shows that contrary to stereotypes, environmental issues are important to conservative voters.

An analysis of voter opinions and choices in the 2011 and 2015 election found:

• The number of climate conscious Canadians who voted Conservative declined dramatically since the last election: 53% of voters the Conservative Party lost between the 2011 and 2015 elections support climate action.
• The research clearly indicates that the Conservative base wants action on climate change: more than 1 in every 4 Conservative voters support climate action and expect government action on the file.
• The majority of Canadians care about the environment: demographic analysis of the research shows that the difference between a "climate conservative" and their non-green counterparts is relatively minor.

"The challenge for the CPC and their next leader is to give Canadians a credible, conservative action plan to address the threat of climate change. Failure to do so could mean the continued decline of the Conservative vote share," says Mark Cameron, Executive Director, Canadians For Clean Prosperity.  

"The data demonstrates that during the 2015 election the majority of Canadian voters were pro-climate action voters - they supported action to reduce greenhouse gases and the implementation of carbon pricing.  Given this massive support, it would be very difficult for Conservatives, or any party to form a majority government without securing the support of sizable portion of this group. 

Even if climate issues are not "ballot questions" (the defining issue upon which voters make their choice), voter's confidence and support for a party is sure to be impacted by its stance on climate action." he concludes.

The full report is available for download: http://www.cleanprosperity.ca/poll

Research Methodology:
As the 2015 election neared, Canadians for Clean Prosperity sought to understand how these issues were viewed by the conservative voter coalition, how support for climate action was interacting with party choices, and whether conservatives can construct a winning coalition in the absence of climate action supporters.  To that end, Vox Pop Labs were asked to analyze their extensive and unique data set to provide in depth analysis of these issues.

Vox Pop Labs operate a national voluntary survey via the popular "Vote Compass" application.  With a sample size of 108,932 and substantial demographic and psychographic data, they are able to accurately weight their sample to reflect Canada's geography, gender, age, education level, language, religion, religiosity and civic engagement to reflect the population of Canada according to census data and other population estimates.  By segmenting and weighing this data, Vox Pop Labs are able to accurately describe the shifting patterns of the electorate between 2011 and 2015 election, and inform our conversation.

About Clean Prosperity:
Canadians for Clean Prosperity seeks to build enduring political support for market-based policies that generate growth while conserving our environment. We educate and influence governments, legislators, political, business and other thought leaders, and give Canadians who share our vision the tools to influence their leaders and representatives.

About Vox Pop Labs:
Vox Pop Labs is a civic tech and data initiative founded and operated by a team of statisticians and social scientists. Its digital products have engaged millions of users worldwide.  Its analytical services draw on unique data and methods to generate exceptional insights for media, government, commercial, and non-profit institutions.

SOURCE Canadians for Clean Prosperity

Media Contact: Mollie Anderson, 416.777.2327 x201, [email protected]