Polls
July 11, 2016 (Ottawa, ON) – A new Mainstreet/Postmedia poll finds mixed opinions on whether the police budget should be increased with many Edmontonians believing the city is less safe. The Mainstreet/Postmedia Poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.4%, 19 times out of 20.
“Alberta is one of three Provinces where the legal drinking age is 18, along with Manitoba and Quebec while the rest of Canada has set the age for legal consumption at 19. A majority of Edmontonians want to keep it that way, with nearly two thirds (63%) saying they would not want to increase it beyond 18 versus just 18% who would support such an increase,” said Quito Maggi, President of Mainstreet Research.
“4 in 10 Edmontonians who would support increasing the age for alcohol consumption say it should be raised to 19, while another 32% said 21 like in some US states, just 5% said 20 and another 22% were not sure. The most desired options other than the current age appear to follow other jurisdictional norms.”
“Recent changes made by the Provincial government that loosen restrictions on serving alcohol is overwhelmingly popular with 73% saying they approve, including 76% of men and 80% of those under 35. Just 17% disapprove, including almost 2 in 10 women disapproving of the move (19%).”
“We see similar support for loosening restrictions on rules for consumption at festivals like the Edmonton Summer Festival. Over 7 in 10 people would support such changes (71%), and significantly higher among those under 35 with almost 8 in 10 (79%). Only 16% would oppose such changes with another 13% not sure.”
The Mainstreet/Postmedia poll also asked Edmontonians questions about crime and policing.
“In recent years Edmonton has received some unwanted attention for having a a steady crime rate while other major cities rates fell up to 2014. Since 2015, rates have increased, including a record number of murders that some attribute to the downturn in the economy. These realities are mirrored by the perceptions of a majority of Edmontonians who believe crime is either increasing (43%) or staying the same (37%). Just 11% believe crime is decreasing with another 9% not sure about the relative amount of crime.”
“Despite those perceptions, people are split on whether the City should approve an increased budget for the local police force. 44% indicate the City should approve an increase for the Police force while 35% said no, with 21% not sure about increasing the budget. This will present a challenge for the Mayor and Council as they decide on budget priorities versus the safety concerns of residents. Perhaps increased attention towards Violent Crimes and Sex Trade would be a good approach for City officials as 22% and 21% respectively indicate these should be priorities for the police force. The rest were closely split between focusing on Gangs (12%), Drugs (15%) and Property Crimes (15%),’ finished Maggi.
About Mainstreet Research
Mainstreet is a national public research firm. With 20 years of political experience at all three levels of government, President and CEO Quito Maggi is a respected commentator on Canadian public affairs.
Differentiated by its large sample sizes, Mainstreet Research has provided accurate snapshots of public opinion, having predicted a majority NDP government in Alberta, a majority Liberal government in British Columbia and a majority Liberal government in Ontario. Mainstreet has been the most accurate polling firm in several by elections and the most recent Toronto mayoral election. Most recently, Mainstreet was the only polling firm to correctly predict a Liberal majority government in the 2015 federal election.
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Mainstreet – Edmonton July 2016 by Mainstreet on Scribd
