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.
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.
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.
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.
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 someone or a party that “really represents” their views.
“This is a common sentiment even among likely voters,” Angus Reid Institute wrote. It 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 Bloc Québécois voters.
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.