Canadians have varying levels of pride in their nationality, depending on their political affiliations, according to a recent poll conducted by Leger. Among the 1,512 respondents, 81 percent stated that they were proud to be Canadian. However, the survey revealed that Conservative supporters were less likely to express national pride compared to their Liberal counterparts. This may seem surprising considering the Conservative party’s reputation as a patriotic party, but experts suggest that it reflects their dissatisfaction with the current trajectory of the country.
The poll found that 97 percent of Liberal voters and 87 percent of NDP-leaning respondents expressed pride in being Canadian. In contrast, only 76 percent of Conservative voters shared this sentiment. The People’s Party of Canada (PPC) had an even lower percentage, with only 45 percent of respondents professing their pride in being Canadian.
Daniel Beland, director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada, noted that conservatism is typically associated with patriotism. However, in this case, the lower level of national pride among Conservative voters can be attributed to their discontent with the federal government, federal policies, and the overall direction of the country.
Among all respondents, six percent stated that they were not proud to be Canadian, with Conservative voters comprising eight percent of this group. Additionally, 12 percent of Bloc Quebecois voters and 27 percent of PPC voters expressed no pride in their Canadian identity.
Beland highlighted that respondents’ reasons for their pride, or lack thereof, offer further insights into their perspectives. For Conservative voters, national pride was mostly associated with Canada’s natural beauty and landscape, as well as universal healthcare. Among Liberal and NDP respondents, universal healthcare was a major contributing factor to their pride. However, there were also concerns expressed about the state of the healthcare system, with 38 percent of all respondents stating that it negatively impacted their national pride.
According to Howard Ramos, chair of the department of sociology at Western University, it is important to distinguish between national pride and patriotism. Some individuals may feel loyal and devoted to their country without feeling proud of it, particularly if they believe the country is moving in the wrong direction.
The fact that Conservative voters are less likely to express national pride reflects the sense of isolation they have experienced in recent years. Political divisions also play a role, with 20 percent of Conservative voters stating that such divisions diminish their pride in being Canadian.
In terms of political extremism, 46 percent of Liberals, 29 percent of Conservatives, and 36 percent of New Democrats viewed it as a reason not to be proud of their Canadian identity. Although there is a difference in the percentage between left-leaning and right-leaning respondents, it is still significant and warrants attention.
Ramos emphasized the need for a course correction in the national discourse. He pointed to the example of Ontario Premier Doug Ford, from the Progressive Conservative party, reaching out to Toronto’s new mayor-elect, Olivia Chow, a former NDP parliamentarian, as a positive step towards finding common ground and reducing alienation.
The Leger survey was conducted online from June 23 to 25 and weighted according to demographic factors. As an online survey, it is not assigned a margin of error due to its non-random sampling method.
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