Manitobans most concerned about costs, tariffs, health care

The cost of living, Canada-U.S. relations and health care are the top concerns for Manitoba voters ahead of Monday’s federal election, a new Probe Research survey found.

Those polled were asked to choose which of the three main party leaders they think is best suited to tackle seven important issues.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was viewed as the strongest on the overall cost of living and inflation, health care, crime/public safety, taxes and the cost/availability of housing.

“This does give Poilievre a bit of an opportunity in the final days of the campaign to really start hammering home, as he already has been, some of those issues around the cost of living, and your kitchen table issues,” Probe Research partner Mary Agnes Welch said.

Liberal Leader Mark Carney was considered the strongest on Canada-U.S. relations and tariffs, and the state of the overall economy.

“I think it’s a feeling, whether you love this or not, that Carney has operated in high-stakes environments on the world stage more than Poilievre has,” Welch said.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh ranked second in one category (health care) and third in the six remaining areas.

Probe asked an online panel of 800 adults, between April 8 and 14, to rank up to two issues (from a list of 15 options that included “none of these/unsure”) that were most important to them.

The overall cost of living and inflation was cited as a top concern by 34 per cent of respondents, followed by Canada-U.S. relations and tariffs (32 per cent), health care (23 per cent), the state of the overall economy (21 per cent) and crime/public safety (15 per cent).

Older Manitobans and Liberal voters are much more likely to view Canada-U.S. relations and tariffs as their key issue, the poll found. Younger Manitobans are more concerned about the cost of living, housing and jobs.

Probe asked respondents to rank five Manitoba-specific issues. The top three were expanding the Port of Churchill for oil, gas and critical mineral exports; making downtown Winnipeg safer; and providing more financial assistance to farmers or companies negatively affected by U.S. and Chinese tariffs. About one in five respondents (21 per cent) replied “none of these” or “unsure.”

The overall findings may come as no surprise to candidates who’ve been knocking on doors since the campaign officially started March 23.

“There are always different reasons that lead people to vote the way that they do,” said Ben Carr, the Liberal incumbent in Winnipeg South Centre.

“I have certainly heard from those that I’m seeking to represent again that, in addition to the challenges we face from the United States, issues such as the environment, mental health and addiction, affordability, specifically around housing, and supports for seniors are top of mind for people as well.”

Conservative candidate Raquel Dancho, who is seeking re-election in Kildonan-St. Paul, said affordability is top of mind for many voters in the riding.

“Affordability is the underpinning issue,” she said. “It’s the foundation issue in this election.”

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Leila Dance, the NDP incumbent in Elmwood-Transcona, said affordability of groceries and housing, health care and the impacts of tariffs are among the top issues she is hearing from voters.

“I’ve talked about this on the doorstep, and I’ve heard Jagmeet mention it during the leaders’ debate, the important role the NDP has played, historically, in making sure that Canadians have certain things, so dental care, pharmacare and even going back to as far as the ‘60s with universal health care,” Dance said.

“Those are things people recognize and continue to see as important.”

— with files from Malak Abas

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca

Chris Kitching
Reporter

Chris Kitching is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He began his newspaper career in 2001, with stops in Winnipeg, Toronto and London, England, along the way. After returning to Winnipeg, he joined the Free Press in 2021, and now covers a little bit of everything for the newspaper. Read more about Chris.

Every piece of reporting Chris produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.