A new poll showed that the majority of Canadians believe the federal government should spend more on healthcare, housing strategy, and initiatives to ease inflation and cost of living issues – but they also want to freeze or reduce other spending.

Nearly three-quarters of participants in the new Leger poll, or 71 percent, said the federal government should spend more on healthcare and health transfers to the provinces.

Only three percent of the 1,545 Canadian participants surveyed over the weekend said the government should spend less.

When it comes to housing strategy and initiatives aimed at addressing inflation and cost of living issues, 66 percent said they support increased government spending, and only six percent said it should be reduced.

But most participants wanted the government to cut or maintain other spending, including spending on national defense, services provided to Indigenous communities, and international aid.

International aid in conflict zones or developing countries was the category that ranked lowest, with 45 percent saying spending should be cut. Only 12 percent of participants said the government should spend more.

For his part, Christian Bourque, Executive Vice President at Leger, noted in an interview that this does not necessarily translate to Canadians’ views on conflicts, as poll participants tend to prefer local spending over international dollars.

For example, he said other polls show that the majority of Canadians believe the Canadian government should support Ukraine in its war against the Russian invaders.

A little less than a third of survey participants, or 31 percent, said the government should cut funding for cultural and heritage initiatives, while 12 percent supported increasing it.

Participants were also asked to agree or disagree with a variety of statements about the overall federal budget.

A large majority, 83 percent, agreed on the need to cap increases in federal spending to avoid fueling inflation.

Similarly, slightly fewer, 79 percent, said federal spending should be reduced in order to “return to balanced budgets within a few years.”

A little more than two-thirds of participants, or 67 percent, said federal spending should be frozen “to rein in the deficit and return to a balanced budget.”

But on the other hand, 72% agreed that returning to balanced budgets “too quickly” would harm “certain segments of the population.”

Despite all that, a little more than half, 56 percent, indicated they do not want to see government spending limited at all, at least not now. They agreed with the statement that this is not the time to limit spending increases because there are “many pressing social and economic issues in Canada right now.”

Bourque said the contradictory results indicate that Canadians are “balanced” regarding what they expect when it comes to spending limits in Ottawa.

Also, thirty percent wanted more government funds for national defense, while 21 percent wanted less spending on defense. Similarly, 29 percent supported increased government spending on services provided to Indigenous communities, while 23 percent wanted spending cuts.

Another 28 percent of participants said they want more spending on benefits provided through the Canadian Ministry of Labour and Social Development. Thirteen percent wanted less money for those government benefits.