Free Enterprise Enthusiasts
September 27, 2016 – This group comprises 22 per cent of the Canadian population. This is overwhelmingly the most male segment (65%) and it skews older (48% are 55+). In fact, more than half of this group is made up of men over the age of 35 (54%). They are the wealthiest among each of the segments, with one-quarter (25%) reporting a household income of $100,00 or more, and they seek to protect many free-market principles. This segment features the greatest number of Albertans.
When asked if the government should be more involved in regulating the economy, or if it should be left to the marketplace, more than four-in-five (83%) say hands off the free-market. In the same vein, they’re opposed to regulations that would create gender parity in large public companies, and say these firms should have hiring decisions left to their own judgement (86% say this).
They’re also significantly more likely than other groups to say that the government should remove special status for Indigenous peoples (68%), that the social safety net should be cut back and more emphasis put on a system that rewards hard work (76%) and that private medical clinics should be encouraged to give Canadians options outside of public healthcare (80%).
