A new poll from the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI) and Ipsos reveals widespread concern among Canadians over government fiscal policy, taxation, and trade measures. A significant majority believe that high taxes and retaliatory tariffs are directly contributing to the rising cost of living.
According to the survey, 77 per cent of Canadians say federal tariffs on American products are increasing the price of consumer goods. The poll suggests a strong public perception that Ottawa’s response to U.S. trade policy is having a negative impact at home.
“Canadians understand that tariffs are just another form of taxation, and that they are the ones footing the bill for any political posturing,” said Samantha Dagres, communications manager at the MEI. “Ottawa should favour unilateral tariff reduction and increased trade with other nations, as opposed to retaliatory tariffs that heap more costs onto Canadian consumers and businesses.”
Canadians also express frustration over the overall tax burden. Seventy-two per cent say their current tax bill is hurting their standard of living, and 67 per cent believe they pay too much in income taxes. About half of respondents say they do not receive good value in return for what they pay.
At the federal level, 54 per cent of Canadians say Ottawa is spending too much, while only six per cent think the government is spending too little. A similar proportion, 54 per cent, say federal dollars are not being effectively allocated to address Canada’s most important issues. In terms of accountability, 55 per cent express dissatisfaction with the transparency of government spending.
“Canadians are not on board with Ottawa’s fiscal path,” said Dagres. “From housing to trade policy, Canadians feel they’re being squeezed by a government that is increasingly an impediment to their standard of living.”
Provincial governments were viewed even more critically. A majority of Canadians said they receive poor value for the taxes they pay provincially. In Quebec, 64 per cent of respondents said they are not getting their money’s worth—an opinion likely influenced by the province’s status as having the highest marginal tax rates in North America.
The poll also looked at housing affordability. Seventy-four per cent of Canadians believe that taxes on new construction contribute directly to unaffordability—a key issue as housing costs continue to rise nationwide.
“Taxpayers are not just ATMs for government – and if they are going to pay such exorbitant taxes, you’d think the least they could expect is good service in return,” said Dagres. “Canadians are increasingly distrustful of a government that believes every problem can be solved with higher taxes.”
The survey was conducted between June 17 and 23, 2025, with a sample of 1,020 Canadians aged 18 and over. The results are considered accurate to within ±3.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
The full poll results are available at: MEI-Ipsos 2025 Poll on Taxation in Canada (PDF)
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Nobody likes taxes, but they don’t like losing the services taxes pay for either. You can’t have it both ways. It’s also easy to avoid tariffs on U.S. goods. Just buy stuff from elsewhere. I’ve yet to notice a single price increase on the things from the U.S. that Imve had to buy, but I have noticed that the Canadian dollar doesn’t go far because of the exchange rate. These surveys are useless as the respondents have a poor grasp of economics.!