As trust in politicians declines, the legitimacy of our government is being questioned more than ever.
A new survey by Forum Research shows a clear majority of Canadians don’t trust promises made by politicians in advance of elections.
Here are key results from the survey:
58% say they don’t trust pre-election promises, with 17% say they have “no trust at all.”
40% say they trust the pre-election promises, with just 3% saying they “have a lot of trust in them.”
The majority of supporters of the Conservatives, NDP, Greens, and Bloc all distrust the promises, while the majority of Liberals (60%) say they believe the promises – despite the numerous examples of Justin Trudeau betraying the Canadian people.
A crisis of legitimacy
These numbers show that the government and the entire political class face a crisis of legitimacy. When the majority of Canadians believe that those in power (and those seeking power) are lying, then the foundation of governmental authority – the support of the people – begins to crumble.
After all, many people will wonder why they should listen to what the politicians and the government tell them, when those running the government refuse to keep their word.
Spencer Fernando
