Canadians angrier than ever at governments: latest Rage Index

While the burgeoning sunshine and the Canucks’ run in the NHL post-season may have you smiling, there’s a chance not much else is.

According to the latest “Rage Index,” there are record levels of anger amongst Canadian adults.

The Toronto based polling company, Pollara Strategic Insights says its latest survey found people are most angry about the economy, and both the federal and provincial governments.

In B.C., Pollara says those surveyed are specifically angry at the David Eby-led NDP government.

It says the level of anger in the province has shot up by 16 per cent since January alone, which marks the first time in nearly two years of their recording that the majority of British Columbians have felt that way.

Pollara polled 1,507 Canadians online over four days between April 22 and 26 this year, and identified six major topics that fuel the fire of the country’s rage:

• The federal government
• Your provincial government
• The Canadian economy
• Your own personal financial situation
• The types of changes happening in Canada
• The latest stories in the news

B.C. is tied with Alberta at 58 per cent of its population estimated to be annoyed or angry about the six topics. B.C. is less angry than Ontario at 62 per cent, and the Atlantic provinces who reported 59 per cent.

According to Pollara, nationally, more than 60 per cent of Canadians surveyed are angry with the federal government.

It says it also found that almost 70 per cent of those surveyed are “annoyed” with the economy.

But some of that anger might be misplaced. The survey found that just 31 per cent of Canadians are familiar with the details of federal budget, but feelings towards it are split down political lines.

The survey showed that lots of Canadians are raging about the proposed budgetary changes to the federal capital gains tax. The changes to the ‘inclusion rate’ would apply to all net profits realized by corporations and those above $250,000 for individuals. They would not apply to the sale of a primary residence.

The federal government calculates the change would create more than $19 billion in tax revenue over the next five years, helping to fund new spending, including measures meant to spur housing construction.

“Increasing the capital gains tax is the most widely known measure of the budget,” the survey said. “Feelings on this are mixed, though more positive when details of the policy are explained.”

-With files from Mike Lloyd and Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press