A new poll by Leger shows that way more Canadians want to reduce spending money on international aid than there are those who wish to increase it. 

This includes funding Ukraine to support their war with Russia, which has been going on since February 2022, as well as funding towards developing countries.

45% of Canadians said they want the Trudeau Government to spend less on international aid, compared to just 12% who said they wanted the feds to increase their spending.

43% said they think it should stay the same. 

Spending more on international aid received the least amount of support, out of the eight topics Leger asked. Cultural and heritage initiatives also received just 12% support for more funding.

The poll took place December 1 to 3, and was answered by 1,545 adults.

Liberals say Ukraine support “unwavering”

In just the 22 months since the war started, Canada has spent more than $9.5 billion towards supporting Ukraine.

In September, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a new donation of $650 million to supply Ukraine with 50 armoured vehicles. This came just three months after the Liberals announced they were spending another $500 million. 

Canadians want a balanced budget 

83% of respondents also said “increases in federal spending should be capped so that it doesn’t fuel inflation.”

Moreover, 79% said that spending should be reduced to support a balanced budget, however, 72% said that doing so too quickly “would mean hurting certain categories of the population.” 

The three most supported causes for more funding (among those Leger asked) were healthcare, a housing strategy, and “initiatives to tackle inflation and cost of living issues.”