Chrystia Freeland’s Finance department spent $53,445 to ask 32 people what they thought of her first budget, says Blacklock’s Reporter..And records show Freeland polled poorly with seniors who complained the finance minister spent like she had “a money tree someplace.”.“Many seniors admit to being skeptical about this budget,” said a researchers’ report, adding: “Half said the country was headed in the wrong direction.”.“I really have no confidence this is sustainable,” the report quoted one pensioner..“The government must have a money tree someplace,” said another..“I don’t know how they’re going to be able to pluck it all off the tree to do what they’re going to do.”.Seniors suspected Freeland was “tossing numbers and large sums out there,” said the report..Freeland’s department paid Léger Marketing Inc. $53,445 to poll instant reactions to the April 19 budget from eight seniors, eight Québecers, nine parents and seven unemployed Canadians for their impressions..The budget speech fared poorest with seniors and parents, and better with young people under 34..“In the words of many participants it would be difficult to be negative about this budget that included elements to ‘satisfy everyone in Canada,’” wrote Leger..Pensioners were most alarmed by deficit spending..“This group is somewhat uneasy about the level of spending and how it gets reconciled in the future. There was a feeling it was legitimate to raise questions of spending.”.Freeland in her budget disclosed the 2020 deficit reached $354.2 billion, six times the previous record and more than Parliament spent in the Second World War. This year’s deficit was estimated at $154.7 billion..Seniors were put off by “the section of the speech where Freeland challenged those who would criticize spending at this time, which characterized those who would do so as being ‘uncaring about some people who lost their job’ or ‘uncaring about struggling small businesses,’” wrote researchers..Pensioners were skeptical about “how these expenditures will be paid for,” they wrote..Findings were based on focus groups in which 32 people were given handheld dials to instantly record real-time reaction to the budget speech from zero to 100 as “negative,” “lukewarm” or “positive.”
Chrystia Freeland’s Finance department spent $53,445 to ask 32 people what they thought of her first budget, says Blacklock’s Reporter..And records show Freeland polled poorly with seniors who complained the finance minister spent like she had “a money tree someplace.”.“Many seniors admit to being skeptical about this budget,” said a researchers’ report, adding: “Half said the country was headed in the wrong direction.”.“I really have no confidence this is sustainable,” the report quoted one pensioner..“The government must have a money tree someplace,” said another..“I don’t know how they’re going to be able to pluck it all off the tree to do what they’re going to do.”.Seniors suspected Freeland was “tossing numbers and large sums out there,” said the report..Freeland’s department paid Léger Marketing Inc. $53,445 to poll instant reactions to the April 19 budget from eight seniors, eight Québecers, nine parents and seven unemployed Canadians for their impressions..The budget speech fared poorest with seniors and parents, and better with young people under 34..“In the words of many participants it would be difficult to be negative about this budget that included elements to ‘satisfy everyone in Canada,’” wrote Leger..Pensioners were most alarmed by deficit spending..“This group is somewhat uneasy about the level of spending and how it gets reconciled in the future. There was a feeling it was legitimate to raise questions of spending.”.Freeland in her budget disclosed the 2020 deficit reached $354.2 billion, six times the previous record and more than Parliament spent in the Second World War. This year’s deficit was estimated at $154.7 billion..Seniors were put off by “the section of the speech where Freeland challenged those who would criticize spending at this time, which characterized those who would do so as being ‘uncaring about some people who lost their job’ or ‘uncaring about struggling small businesses,’” wrote researchers..Pensioners were skeptical about “how these expenditures will be paid for,” they wrote..Findings were based on focus groups in which 32 people were given handheld dials to instantly record real-time reaction to the budget speech from zero to 100 as “negative,” “lukewarm” or “positive.”
