The federal Conservatives remain projected to win a majority government three weeks after the Trudeau Liberals announced a two-month GST pause on things like diapers, candy, and toys.
According to the most recent poll from Nanos, Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives are sitting at 42% of support, while the Liberals and NDP are at 23% and 21% respectively.
This means that if an election were held today, the Conservatives would likely win a majority government, and more notably, it suggests that Trudeau’s tax-pause has had no impact on Canadians’ sentiments towards the Liberal Party.
The Liberals recently introduced a two month GST tax pause starting December 14, “thinking maybe it would change the numbers; however, the reality is that the Liberals have tried everything,” said Nik Nanos, of Nanos Research.
He added: “This is the latest thing and it’s obviously not working, and Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives are just hammering away (at the Liberals) over and over again and probably just can’t wait for an election.”
Trudeau recently brushed off concerns about the economic impact of the tax break, saying he’ll “let the bankers worry about the economy.”
According to a flash survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, small businesses largely oppose the proposed two-month GST/HST holiday. Business owners have called the tax pause “an IT nightmare,” expressing concerns regarding the timing, the implementation process, and the administrative expenses involved.
One economist, Dalhousie professor Sylvain Charlebois (aka “The Food Professor”) has predicted the 60-day tax pause will result in about $25 savings for the average Canadian.
Prime Minister Trudeau recently touted his GST pause on X, only to get a community note attached to his post, which informed Canadians that most essential grocery items are already exempt from GST.
