inFocus with David Coletto: Recent Episodes
David Coletto
For the past 10 years, I’ve built one of Canada’s leading polling and public opinion research firms: Abacus Data.
And in that time, my team and I interviewed hundreds of thousands of Canadians and hosted focus groups across the country.
This podcast will feature conversations with smart, curious, and interesting people who love politics, public policy, and figuring out what makes people think and act the way they do.
If you work in polling or market research, public affairs, public relations, government relations, advocacy, or in communications – this podcast is for you.
On August 30, the Globe and Mail published an editorial highlighting the fact that Canada’s foreign aid spending is in decline – again.
They wrote, after noting that Canada’s defence spending is no where near the NATO target, “there’s a similar yet lesser known international yardstick on which Canada also falls well below the collective goal: spending 0.7 per cent of gross national income on official development assistance.” The editorial goes onto conclude: “Ottawa needs to further bolster spending on foreign aid,” because, they argue “Canada’s presence in the world, whether military, economic development, or humanitarian, needs to be backed up with adequate funding.”
So today, we ask: Can foreign aid be a political winner?
On this episode of inFocus, I’m joined by Julia Anderson, the CEO at the Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health or CanWaCH for short. CanWaCH has over 100 members ranging from NGOs, academic institutions, health professional associations and individuals partnering to improve health outcomes for women and children in more than 1,000 communities worldwide. It has also been a client of mine for several years now.
Joining Julia is Robert Greenhill, the Executive Chairman of Global Canada Initiative and a CIGI fellow. Robert served as managing director and chief business officer at the World Economic Forum. Prior to this, he was president and deputy minister of the Canadian International Development Agency and a senior visiting executive with the International Development Research Centre in Ottawa.
I’m thrilled to have both of these leaders on the podcast to talk about how Canada’s doing today when it comes to foreign aid, what is holding us back, and explore the results of a public opinion survey Abacus Data recently completed for CanWaCH on the topic.
In this episode, host David Coletto briefs on the latest Abacus Data poll that finds the Conservatives ahead of the Liberals by 12-points and a majority of Canadians feeling the Prime Minister shouldn't run in the next election.
You can subscribe to his substack at davidcoletto.substack.com and find more research over on the Abacus Data website - abacusdata.ca
In this episode, host David Coletto delves into the contentious issue of immigration in Canada. He discusses his recent article "Would a Leader Who Promises to Reduce Immigration Win Votes?", revealing the findings of his public opinion survey on immigration attitudes. With data suggesting a majority of Canadians are in favor of reducing immigration levels, David explores the implications for political leaders, societal pressures, and public sentiment. Tune in to gain a comprehensive understanding of this complex issue, as David challenges the belief that Canada is immune to anti-immigration sentiment, pointing to wider societal concerns about housing and healthcare. This episode provides crucial insights into the emerging debates that are shaping Canada's future.
You can subscribe to his substack at davidcoletto.substack.com and find more research over on the Abacus Data website - abacusdata.ca
In this episode of inFocus, pollster David Coletto shares his perspective on the final Abacus Data poll released earlier this morning (Sunday) on the Alberta provincial election.
Full details of the poll can be accessed on the Abacus Data website.
In this episode of inFocus, pollster David Coletto shares his perspective on a new Abacus Data poll released with just two weeks to go in the Alberta provincial election.
Full details of the poll can be accessed on the Abacus Data website.
In this episode of inFocus, pollster David Coletto shares his perspective on a new Abacus Data poll released just prior to the start of the 2023 Alberta provincial election.
In this episode, we'll be exploring vote intentions and the motivators of vote choice in Alberta. So, let's dive right in.
This comprehensive province-wide survey interviewed 1,000 eligible voters between April 21 and 25, just before the Calgary event center announcement.
What if I told you that scientists have figured out how to reduce the amount of methane cattle produce by changing their genetic code? Or that we have figured out how to quickly and definitively diagnose rare genetic diseases? Thanks to genomics, many of our biggest challenges from cancer, to climate change, to pandemics might help get solved.
On this episode of inFocus, I’m joined by Rob Annan, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Genome Canada – the national non-profit organization that for 20 years has invested in genomics science and innovation through academic-industry partnerships to improve the lives of Canadians.
Rob and I spoke about the science of Genomics, the opportunities it offers to solve some big problems, and what Canadians know and think about genomics.
I hope you find my discussion with Rob useful and interesting.
Every day, we use something that was created using a forest product. Yet, rarely do we think about where those products come from and how they are produced.
With 9% of the world’s forests and growing demand for forest products, there is a big opportunity for Canada in forestry.
As our country moves to meet zero-emission targets by 2050, Canada has the potential to be a bioenergy and biomaterials powerhouse on the world stage. The sector has embraced the emerging cleantech, low-carbon era using innovation and new technology to create new opportunities and jobs.
And yet, the road ahead is not without its challenges.
Welcome to season 5 of inFocus with David Coletto.
On this episode of inFocus, I’m joined by Derek Nighbor, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Forest Products Association of Canada. Derek and FPAC have been a long-time client and this week, we released some new public opinion data on what Canadians know and think about forestry in Canada.
Derek and I spoke about forestry in Canada, the debate about its future, and the challenges facing the industry all in the context of the climate crisis, global supply chain disruptions, and geo-political conflict.
This episode will be of interest to anyone working in government relations, political strategy, natural sources, or climate change/sustainability advocacy.
In this special briefing edition of inFocus with David Coletto, Abacus Data pollster David Coletto reviews the results of a new poll of 500 Ottawa residents, exploring their views about the protest and how leaders have handled it.
For more details on the survey, visit Abacus Data's website
Are you a political hobbyist? Do you read the Hill Times or iPolitics just for fun? Do you tune into the Sunday morning political shows and talk about politics with your friends or families – like if you were talking about your favourite sports team?
Well, if you are – you might be hurting democracy.
On this episode of inFocus, I’m joined by Dr. Eitan Hersh, an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at Tufts University. His research focuses on civic participation, voting rights, and the relationship between election rules, strategies, and the behavior of voters.
In January 2020, he published his second book “Politics is for Power” - A groundbreaking analysis of political hobbyism—treating politics like a spectator sport—and an urgent and timely call to arms for the many well-meaning, well-informed citizens who follow political news, but do not take political action.
In this interview, we discussed his research and the findings of his book and what they mean for American and Canadian politics and the future of our democracies.
I hope you find my interview with Eitan Hersh useful and informative.
For the past two weeks, most of the world’s leaders were meeting in Glasgow, Scotland as part of the 26th United Nations climate change conference, also known as COP26.
UK Prime Minister, in welcoming world leaders to the UK, described the conference as the “world’s moment of truth” and a now or never proposition to tackle climate change and work together to keep global temperatures 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Scientists have said crossing the 1.5-degree threshold risks unleashing far more severe climate change effects on people, wildlife, and ecosystems.
On this episode of inFocus, I’m joined by Merran Smith, the Executive Director at Clean Energy Canada, a climate and clean energy program within the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. It works to accelerate Canada’s clean energy transition by sharing the story of the global shift to renewable energy, clean technology, and sustainable industries. It conducts original research, convenes influential dialogues, informs policy leadership, and drives public engagement.
Merran and I spoke as climate negotiations at COP26 in Glasgow wrap up. We discussed the scale of the challenge the world faces to confront climate change, the opportunities for Canada in the clean energy sector, and the role of public opinion in building consensus and driving action on the energy transition.
According to the Canadian Real Estate Association, the national average home price in September 2021 was $686,650 – an increase of 27% from before the pandemic. In Greater Toronto – the average home price is almost $1.1 million. In Greater Vancouver, it’s close to $1.2 million. To say that housing has become unaffordable in most parts of Canada is an understatement.
Two weeks ago, RBC released its latest housing affordability measure. It jumped 2.7% in the last quarter – the biggest quarterly increase in more than three decades.
During the past election, housing affordability was a top issue for millions of Canadians – especially those under 40 who aspire to own a home but feel that dream is becoming harder and harder to achieve.
On this episode of inFocus, I’m joined by Michael Bourque, the Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Real Estate Association. CREA represents more than 135,000 real estate brokers, agents, and salespeople working through 78 real estate Boards and Associations across Canada.
Michael and I spoke about housing affordability, the politics of the issue, and what is needed from government policy to make the dream of homeownership a reality for more Canadians.
Throughout the federal election, our polls consistently found that health care was a top issue for many Canadians. Canadians of all ages are concerned about the capacity of the health system, the long-term impact of the pandemic, and health worker shortage in many parts of the system.
As the new federal cabinet is set to be sworn in later this month and a new Parliament is set to begin, I wonder, will healthcare be a priority for this new Parliament and government?
On this episode of inFocus, I’m joined by Dr. Katharine Smart, the President of the Canadian Medical Association, and a pediatrician in Whitehorse, Yukon. Dr. Smart’s work has centred on developing collaborative partnerships with community and government services to serve marginalized children using a model of social pediatrics. She works primarily with children who have experienced trauma and adverse childhood events and is passionate about improving services for marginalized children.
Dr. Smart and I spoke about how the pandemic has impacted Canada’s healthcare system, the role the federal government can play in improving healthcare, and why politics often gets in the way of meaningful change in the system.
In this episode of inFocus, pollster David Coletto shares his perspective on the 2021 Canadian election results asking - what was it about?
Tune in for this 20-minute briefing on what Abacus Data's polling over the campaign can tell us about the outcome and what it means going forward.
In this episode of inFocus, pollster David Coletto from Abacus Data shares the latest results from his final survey of the 2021 Canadian election including a look at the underlying numbers that help explain the apparent stalemate and too close to call outcome.
For more information about the survey visit: https://abacusdata.ca/election-2021-final-poll-abacus-data/
In this episode of inFocus, pollster David Coletto from Abacus Data shares the latest results from his tracking poll on the Canadian election and tries to unpack the reasons why neither of the two main parties have been able to break away.
You can get all the data on the latest poll here: https://abacusdata.ca/daily-tracking-poll-election-44-sept-16/
There’s just over a week to go in this federal election campaign and the outcome is so uncertain. The leaders debated twice this past week and the polls continue to suggest this very close. Neither the Liberals nor the Conservatives appear to have any momentum at this point.
On this episode of inFocus, I’m joined by my really good friend Dennis Matthews.
Dennis is currently President of Creative Currency, an advertising agency affiliated with Enterprise Canada. He was the National Marketing Lead for the Conservative Party in 2015 and recently helped manage communications and advertising for the come-from-behind winning Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative Party.
We sat down a few hours after the English language debate to talk about the campaign, how to campaign when voters aren't paying attention, how to communicate and engage voters in the digital age, and what his experience in Nova Scotia taught him about politics today.
Abacus Data CEO shares some thoughts and insights on the 2021 Canadian federal election in this short briefing episode of inFocus.
In this episode, he discusses Abacus Data's latest survey that explored the impact of the TVA French Language leaders' debate last week and sets up what to watch for over the coming week.
For more information about the latest poll visit: https://abacusdata.ca/election-2021-conservatives-liberals-tied/
This week, millions of students across Canada will be going back to school and education and our education system will be top of mind to millions of parents and educators.
There’s no doubt the pandemic has had a profound impact on children. It has put many of their parents out of work, surrounded their homes in grief and anxiety, and kept them out of schools that teach and care for them. It has been a very lonely time for Canadian children.
With two weeks left to go in the federal election campaign, I wonder, why haven’t heard more about education on the campaign trail.
On this episode of inFocus, I’m joined by Sam Hammond, the President of the Canadian Teachers Federation. Sam just started his two-year term as the Federation's president in July 2021. Prior, Sam was President of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario. He has taught all grades from JK to grade eight and was an instructor in the Labour Studies Program at McMaster University. The Canadian Teachers Federation represents over 300,000 elementary and secondary school teachers across Canada.
Sam and I spoke about the role of public education in federal politics, some polling Abacus Data did for the Federation, and what he’s hoping to hear from federal parties and candidates in the final weeks of the campaign.
Abacus Data CEO shares some thoughts and insights on the 2021 Canadian federal election in this short briefing episode of inFocus.
He discusses the latest horse-race polling, what the polls said about the french language debate back in 2019, and what to watch for as the campaign enters it's 4th week after the long weekend.
Week 3 begins and we have a very tight race. Abacus Data CEO shares the key findings from his firm's latest survey in this briefing on polling during the 2021 Canadian election.
For details on this poll visit: https://abacusdata.ca/election-2021-liberals-conservatives-neck-and-neck/
Foreign affairs and international development issues often take a back seat in federal election campaigns.
But this election began as the Taliban took control over Afghanistan and the world is still grappling with a global pandemic.
On this episode of inFocus, I’m joined by Julia Anderson, the CEO at the Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health or CanWaCH for short. CanWaCH has over 100 members ranging from NGOs, academic institutions, health professional associations and individuals partnering to improve health outcomes for women and children in more than 1,000 communities worldwide. It has also been a client of mine for several years now.
We sat down as week two of the federal election campaign comes to an end to talk about international development, the global pandemic, and a fascinating research project CanWaCH commissioned to understand public attitudes surrounding foreign affairs and international development.
For more information about the deliberative polling we discussed, visit https://canwach.ca/foreign-policy-by-canadians-findings/
In this episode of inFocus, our latest 2021 Canadian election survey that was just released today.
The survey finds the Liberals still ahead by 4 - LPC 33%, CPC 29%, NDP 23% but with big gains in Mr. O'Toole's personal numbers. His favourable jumped 6 points from last week.
For all the details on the poll check out the release on the Abacus Data website.
Thanks for listening. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to send them along to david@abacusdata.ca
Canada’s deficit ballooned to over $350 billion in 2020/2021 and is projected to be north of $150 billion this year. And as political parties roll out their election platforms, they are all planning to continue spending for the foreseeable future.
At the same time, the cost of living has emerged again as THE top issue for voters, as Stats Canada release new inflation numbers showing the fastest increase in the consumer price index in a decade.
The pandemic also increased inequality in our society. Some, including the wealthiest, are much better off as a result of the pandemic. Others, especially those most impacted by the restrictions and closures caused by the pandemic, are much worse off.
These two dynamics – increased public expenditure and rising economic inequality – are surely going to be hot topics during this election campaign.
How do we pay for the pandemic and recovery? And how fair do Canadians think the tax system is? And what impact is the pandemic having on the cost of living?
On this episode of inFocus, I’m joined by Katrina Miller, Program Director at the Broadbent Institute and Kiavash Najafi, the Director of Policy and Communications at the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, a union representing over 60,000 scientists and professionals employed at the federal and some provincial and territorial levels of government.
The Broadbent Institute and PIPS commissioned my company Abacus Data to conduct public opinion research exploring public perceptions about wealth inequality, tax fairness, and affordability.
In this episode of inFocus, I look at our first election survey and talk about what issues voters say are going to impact their vote.
For all the details on the poll check out the release on the Abacus Data website.
Thanks for listening. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to send them along to david@abacusdata.ca
In this episode of inFocus, I look at our final pre-election survey and explore the state of the election a day after the election officially kicks off.
For all the details on the poll check out the release on the Abacus Data website.
Thanks for listening. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to send them along to david@abacusdata.ca
In this episode of inFocus, I share some thoughts and the findings of Abacus Data's latest poll on Canadian politics completed earlier this week as well as my plans for the podcast during the election.
For all the details on the poll check out the release on the Abacus Data website.
Have rest of the week!
With Canada’s first dose vaccinate rate now outpacing almost all other countries and Canadians feeling more optimistic that the return to normal will be here very soon, our attention is shifting to what we can do to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic in other parts of the world.
Today, on the eve of World Refugee Day, we explore what Canada can do to help those in far more vulnerable situations around the world and what Canadians think about it.
On this episode of inFocus, I’m joined by Sara Schulz, the Senior Advisor for Government Engagement at World Vision Canada and Lindsay Gladding, World Vision Canada’s Director of Fragile and Humanitarian Programs.
Sarah has worked with World Vision for over 12 years as a passionate advocate for the rights of children. Lindsay has more than a decade of experience in diverse humanitarian and emergency settings – has been deployed to Haiti, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Zimbabwe. She also spent 18 months with World Vision Lebanon as the Humanitarian Director establishing World Vision’s response to the Syrian refugee crisis.
This week, my firm Abacus Data released some new polling commissioned by World Vision Canada that explores how Canadians are feeling about the global response to COVID-19 and what they want our government to do to make sure the pandemic ends, for everyone, everywhere.
How do we create a business, legal, and policy environment that allows every aspiring entrepreneur to succeed? What barriers do Black entrepreneurs in Canada face?
On this episode of inFocus, I’m joined by three guests to talk about a new study my firm Abacus Data helped to conduct on Black Entrepreneurship in Canada.
Commissioned by the African Canadian Senate Caucus and Nova Scotia Independent Senator Colin Deacon, and in partnership with a dozen Black-led business organizations, the survey found that most Black Entrepreneurs face real challenges accessing capital, building supportive networks, and developing the skills needed to succeed in business.
On the podcast today, I’m delighted to welcome Nadine Spencer, the President of the Black Business and Professional Association, Alfred Burgesson, the founder & CEO of Tribe Network, an entrepreneurship & innovation hub for Black, Indigenous and People of Colour, and Nova Scotia Independent Senator Colin Deacon.
I had the pleasure of working with all three on the study and we’ve come together on inFocus to talk about the results and what needs to happen next to make entrepreneurship more inclusive in Canada.
You can access the full study here: https://abacusdata.ca/black-entrepreneurs-canada-inclusive-entrepreneurship/
What is it like running a national election campaign? How does polling impact the decisions made on a campaign? I’m excited to explore these questions with Hamish Marshall, the national campaign manager for the Conservative Party of Canada’s 2019 election campaign.
Hamish is currently a partner at ONE Persuades. Prior to that, he ran the 2019 Conservative Party campaign, was campaign manager for Andrew Scheer’s successful bid to become Conservative Leader and previously worked in Stephen Harper’s PMO.
Hamish and I unpack the experience running the campaign and talk about the roll that polling plays in election campaigning. He’s been at the centre of Canadian politics and shares his perspective on the future of the Conservative movement in Canada and his experience running a campaign that almost defeated Justin Trudeau and the Liberals.
Joe Biden wouldn't be President without the surge in turnout of young voters in the US.
On this episode of inFocus, I’m joined by John Della Volpe the founder and CEO of SocialSphere and for 21 years, he has been the Director of Polling at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics where he has led the research program exploring the attitudes and opinions of America’s Millennials and Generation Z.
John also recently served as a pollster for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris’s 2020 campaign where he focused on youth research.
John and I have gotten to know each other over the past few years after he met while he visited Ottawa in 2019.
I had a lot of fun speaking with John. Hope you enjoy it.
On this episode of inFocus, I’m joined by Dr. Marc Hetherington and Dr. Jonathan Weiler, authors of Prius or Pickup? How the Answers to Four Simple Questions Explain America’s Great Divide. The book was published in 2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
I read the book a few years ago and it had a big impact on how think about public opinion, political behaviour, and what impacts both. In their book, Hetherington and Weiler show that the key to understanding polarization in the United States requires understanding how personality and worldviews impact opinions and behaviour.
They also show that these factors also impact what we drive, where we live, where we vacation, and not surprising how we vote.
May 11 is Census Day in Canada.
For pollsters, the census is an irreplaceable tool used every day in our work. We use it to make sure our survey samples are representative of the population. We use it to help model data, and it helps us tell the story of changing demographics and behaviours in Canada.
Last week, I lucked out and was invited to complete the long-form census. It was 20 minutes of pure enjoyment. I know, I know – I need to get a life.
My guest on this episode of inFocus is Canada’s Chief Statistician – Anil Arora. Mr. Arora was appointed the head of Statistics Canada in September 2016.
On the deadline to complete the 2021 census, we talked about the importance of the census, how decisions about what is asked are made, and how the way data is collected is changing. We also dig into what Statistics Canada has done over the pandemic and its plan to improve how it captures data on race, gender, and sexual orientation.