Vancouver voters say mayor and council are out of touch, with affordability top concern: poll

The Story

A new poll conducted by Canada Pulse Insights, done exclusively for Rogers OMNI TV, found that 72 per cent of Vancouver voters believe their mayor and city council are out of touch with what residents want and need.

Affordability and the cost of living ranked highest among the issues respondents said matter most to them, with 45 per cent choosing it. Housing affordability and home ownership followed at 33 per cent, while crime, policing and public safety were selected by 29 per cent of respondents.

Health care and access to care came in at 25 per cent, and drug use, the opioid crisis and supervised consumption sites were chosen by 24 per cent.

Canada Pulse Insights CEO John Wright said local politicians may be unable to fully resolve affordability but can address parts of it. He said they can focus on affordable housing, freeze taxes, and ensure investments produce “a proper return to voters.”

The poll also found differences by supporter. Pete Fry supporters (39 per cent) and Ken Sim supporters (50 per cent) both identified affordability and cost of living as the most important issue, but they differed on other priorities.

Fry supporters were more likely to cite climate change and extreme weather, accountability, ethics and transparency at city hall, parks and recreation and cultural facilities, and access to and quality of municipal services. Sim supporters more often listed crime, policing and public safety, municipal taxes, spending and the budget, and traffic congestion and road infrastructure.

Respondents who supported candidates other than Sim were more likely to say the mayor and city council are out of touch. Fry supporters agreed at 81 per cent, including 52 per cent who strongly agreed. Eighty per cent of those supporting Kareen Allam of the Vancouver Liberals agreed, and 83 per cent of those supporting Colleen Hardwick of TEAM for a Livable Vancouver agreed.

Sim supporters were more divided, with 44 per cent agreeing that the mayor and city council may not have their “fingers on the pulse” of Vancouverites’ needs and wants.