On August 30, the Globe and Mail published an editorial highlighting the fact that Canada’s foreign aid spending is in decline – again. They wrote, after noting that Canada’s defence spending is no where near the NATO target, “there’s a similar yet lesser known international yardstick on which Canada also falls well below the collective goal: spending 0.7 per cent of gross national income on official development assistance.” The editorial goes onto conclude: “Ottawa needs to further bolster spending on foreign aid,” because, they argue “Canada’s presence in the world, whether military, economi ..read more

In this episode, host David Coletto briefs on the latest Abacus Data poll that finds the Conservatives ahead of the Liberals by 12-points and a majority of Canadians feeling the Prime Minister shouldn't run in the next election. You can subscribe to his substack at davidcoletto.substack.com and find more research over on the Abacus Data website - abacusdata.ca ..read more

In this episode, host David Coletto delves into the contentious issue of immigration in Canada. He discusses his recent article "Would a Leader Who Promises to Reduce Immigration Win Votes?", revealing the findings of his public opinion survey on immigration attitudes. With data suggesting a majority of Canadians are in favor of reducing immigration levels, David explores the implications for political leaders, societal pressures, and public sentiment. Tune in to gain a comprehensive understanding of this complex issue, as David challenges the belief that Canada is immune to anti-immigration s ..read more

In this episode of inFocus, pollster David Coletto shares his perspective on a new Abacus Data poll released just prior to the start of the 2023 Alberta provincial election. In this episode, we'll be exploring vote intentions and the motivators of vote choice in Alberta. So, let's dive right in. This comprehensive province-wide survey interviewed 1,000 eligible voters between April 21 and 25, just before the Calgary event center announcement.   ..read more

What if I told you that scientists have figured out how to reduce the amount of methane cattle produce by changing their genetic code? Or that we have figured out how to quickly and definitively diagnose rare genetic diseases? Thanks to genomics, many of our biggest challenges from cancer, to climate change, to pandemics might help get solved. On this episode of inFocus, I’m joined by Rob Annan, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Genome Canada – the national non-profit organization that for 20 years has invested in  genomics science and innovation through academic-industry partn ..read more

Every day, we use something that was created using a forest product. Yet, rarely do we think about where those products come from and how they are produced. With 9% of the world’s forests and growing demand for forest products, there is a big opportunity for Canada in forestry. As our country moves to meet zero-emission targets by 2050, Canada has the potential to be a bioenergy and biomaterials powerhouse on the world stage.  The sector has embraced the emerging cleantech, low-carbon era using innovation and new technology to create new opportunities and jobs. And yet, the road ahead is ..read more

In this special briefing edition of inFocus with David Coletto, Abacus Data pollster David Coletto reviews the results of a new poll of 500 Ottawa residents, exploring their views about the protest and how leaders have handled it. For more details on the survey, visit Abacus Data's website ..read more

Are you a political hobbyist? Do you read the Hill Times or iPolitics just for fun? Do you tune into the Sunday morning political shows and talk about politics with your friends or families – like if you were talking about your favourite sports team? Well, if you are – you might be hurting democracy.   On this episode of inFocus, I’m joined by Dr. Eitan Hersh, an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at Tufts University. His research focuses on civic participation, voting rights, and the relationship between election rules, strategies, and the behavior of voters. In J ..read more

For the past two weeks, most of the world’s leaders were meeting in Glasgow, Scotland as part of the 26th United Nations climate change conference, also known as COP26. UK Prime Minister, in welcoming world leaders to the UK, described the conference as the “world’s moment of truth” and a now or never proposition to tackle climate change and work together to keep global temperatures 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Scientists have said crossing the 1.5-degree threshold risks unleashing far more severe climate change effects on people, wildlife, and ecosystems. On this episode o ..read more

According to the Canadian Real Estate Association, the national average home price in September 2021 was $686,650 – an increase of 27% from before the pandemic. In Greater Toronto – the average home price is almost $1.1 million. In Greater Vancouver, it’s close to $1.2 million.  To say that housing has become unaffordable in most parts of Canada is an understatement. Two weeks ago, RBC released its latest housing affordability measure. It jumped 2.7% in the last quarter – the biggest quarterly increase in more than three decades. During the past election, housing affordability was a top i ..read more