December 11, 2025 — A new Pollara survey finds more Canadians feel negatively (28%) than positively (22%) about populist politicians, but more voters are comfortable with them than three years ago. The poll also shows Canadians growing more comfortable with politicians who describe themselves as “right-wing”, “conservative”, and “pragmatic”.
Though feelings still skew negative when it comes to “populist politicians” many of the messages they espouse resonate across the political spectrum:
| Belief | % Agree |
|---|---|
| The politicians in government need to follow the will of the people | 80% |
| Politicians cater more to the top 1% of income earners than the other 99% | 68% |
| Politicians should listen more to the people and less to the experts | 66% |
| Most politicians do not care about the people | 65% |
| The people, and not politicians, should make our most important policy decisions | 59% |
| What people call compromise in politics is really just selling out on one’s principles | 57% |
The survey finds that younger voters feel more positive than older voters about “populism” – while at the same time being more open to labels usually placed on farther left leaders like “socialist”, “left-wing”, and “woke”.
- Read the full details in our report and associated data tables
- Read media coverage at the Hub and National Post
- Read additional analysis at the Pollara Substack by Andre Turcotte and Dan Arnold
