What Policy Ideas Attract and Repel Canadian Voters? A look at the "Third Rails" of Canadian Politics
Summary
Four items in particular – legalizing all drugs, raising the retirement age, mandatory military service, and criminalizing abortion – all had a clear majority saying they would never vote for a party that promised them. Digging even deeper, when we isolate for Canadians currently supporting the Conservative Party, we find that the biggest losers for them are legalizing all drugs, raising the retirement age, criminalizing abortion, and taxing gains on primary residences. Additionally, drug policy emerges as another area where the Conservatives can both mobilize their own base and potentially weaken the voter coalitions of the Bloc Québécois, Liberals, and NDP. This exercise also tested ideas that, while not currently proposed by any mainstream party, help us understand how political dynamics and opinions might interact as voters make their decisions. The findings highlight potential wedge issues such as taxing religious organizations, abolishing the monarchy, or defunding the CBC—topics that could provoke strong reactions and influence voter behaviour.