Most Canadians don’t have confidence feds can successfully address country’s challenges: survey
Posted February 19, 2020 6:53 am.
Last Updated February 19, 2020 9:38 am.
TORONTO (NEWS 1130) – As the federal Liberals scramble to address nation-wide protests that have crippled some of Canada’s roads and railways, it appears many of us don’t believe the government will be able to, successfully.
The 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals nearly two-in-three Canadians don’t have confidence in the country’s current leaders — government and CEOs — to address the country’s challenges.
Overall, the annual barometer shows trust in institutions, including government, business, media, and NGOs, is down over the previous year, with Canadians surveyed not finding one institution to be both competent and ethical.
“The characteristics that made for a trusted institution in the past are not the ones that make a trusted institution today,” says Lisa Kimmel, president and CEO, Edelman Canada and Latin America in a news release.
“Canadians want leaders of institutions to look beyond shareholders to consider stakeholders like employees. Ultimately, the battle for trust hinges on integrity, dependability and purpose. Institutions must demonstrate an ability not only to perform competently but also to do so ethically, by taking concrete action to tackle the right issues, in the right way.”
Only 42 per cent say they trust government leaders and many are yearning for leadership, according to Edelman. Eighty per cent of Canadians say company CEOs should take the lead on change, up from 68 per cent in 2018.
The findings come at a time three quarters of Canadians are scared of losing their jobs because of various challenges in the country, including technological change, a looming recession, and jobs being moved overseas. The Edelman Trust Barometer finds only one-in-three Canadians believe they and their families will be better off in five years.
Trust in the media continues to be a growing issue as well. While 58 per cent of Canadians trust journalists, half believe the media they use is contaminated with untrustworthy information, and 71 per cent worry about fake news being used as a weapon.
