Early Carney Reviews Mixed: POLL

06/06/2025

The optimism coming out of meetings between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Canada’s provincial premiers was quickly dampened by United States President Donald Trump.

Later in the week Trump announced a doubling of tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum. This, as the nation’s leaders continue with efforts to “Trump-proof” Canada’s economy.

In some of the first data assessing the just-more-than-a-month-old post-election Carney government, polling from the Angus Reid Institute finds Canadians feeling confident about some priorities set forth by the government, and less bullish on others.

As Carney takes his first mandate, most Canadians offer him positive appraisal for his early actions. More than half (57%) approve of him thus far, while 29 per cent disapprove. Many – approximately one-in-seven (15%) are yet unsure.

Canadians’ positivity extends to several of the new government’s top priorities. Three-in-five say that they are confident the Liberals and Carney will make significant progress when it comes to removing inter-provincial trade barriers, something that the meetings in Saskatoon focused on this week. Strengthening relationships with other like-minded nations is also a source of confidence. The relationship with the United States, however, one that Carney claimed has entered a new phase, is cause for less optimism. Twice as many say they are not confident that progress can be made on this file, compared to those who feel positively.

Two other key priorities for Carney and the Liberals generate the most skepticism. Seven-in-10 (69%) are not confident that progress on reducing government spending on operations will come to fruition. Further, three-quarters (74%) are pessimistic that the government will make significant strides in reducing the cost of housing. This includes a near identical number among homeowners (75%) and renters (73%).

More Key Findings:

Carney’s first approval rating falls six points behind that of his predecessor, Justin Trudeau (63%) and four-points below Stephen Harper’s (61%).
Canadians are divided evenly on the question of whether they’re confident the new government will make significant progress in strengthening Canada’s Armed Forces. This, as Carney’s government has committed to greatly increasing defense spending.
More than half (54%) are not confident that the Liberal government will reduce immigration rates to “sustainable” levels.