CBC’s support is weakest among young Canadians, meaning it is likely to keep declining.
The Liberals went absolutely crazy when Twitter applied the “government funded media” label to CBC. Liberal politicians had a hysterical meltdown, with eco-extremist Steven Guilbeault even claiming that Poilievre’s criticism of the CBC made the Conservative Leader a “threat to democracy.”
Both the Liberals and the establishment press have tried to make opposition to CBC seem like a fringe position. But the numbers indicate otherwise.
According to a spark*insights survey, 45% of Canadians support the idea to “shut the CBC down to save tax dollars”, while 55% say “I value the CBC and want it maintained”.
As expected, there is a partisan divide on the question, with 67% of Conservatives favouring the shut down of the CBC, compared to 36% of Liberals, 33% of New Democrats, and 39% of Bloc voters who feel the same.
The partisan results are notable, since they indicate that there are more Liberals who support defunding the CBC than there are Conservatives who want to keep it. When Trudeau demonizes Poilievre’s anti-CBC stance, he’s also demonizing many of his own supporters.
The real concern for the CBC however is the age breakdown.
Among Canadians aged 18-29, 55% support scrapping the CBC, while 45% want to keep it. Among Canadians age 30-44, 45% want to defund CBC, while 55% oppose defunding. Among those age 45-59, the breakdown is 39%-61%, while among Canadians age 60+ the breakdown is 29%-71%.
Younger Canadians are most likely to get their news online and through social media platforms, and have also watched a new generation of Canadian content creators build large audiences without needing any government funding. More and more people are realizing that Canadian culture can compete and win in the free market, and doesn’t require state intervention.
When combined with the economic struggles facing many young Canadians – who likely don’t see why CBC should keep getting so much taxpayer money – and it’s no surprise that a majority of young Canadians want CBC gone.
As a result, CBC’s support is likely to continue declining over time, and government measures like Bill C-11 and C-18 which seek to censor and force people to consume state-approved content will only generate a stronger backlash.
Poilievre on the right track
While support for keeping CBC is higher than support for scrapping it in the poll, the 55% pro-CBC contingent is spread across the Liberals, NDP, and Bloc, while the Conservatives are the only party with a seat in the House of Commons that favours scrapping it.
45% is more than enough to win a majority, and the anti-CBC viewpoint could win many new young Canadian supporters for the Conservatives.
Clearly, Poilievre’s plan to defund CBC isn’t just good for motivating the base, it’s also a winning strategy in a general election.
Spencer Fernando
