September 3, 2025
When Mark Carney became Prime Minister earlier this year, he introduced a new way of governing – one that sought to bring strategic discipline to a sprawling federal government. Instead of issuing dozens of separate mandate letters, Carney delivered a single, unified set of seven national priorities to guide every department and minister in his government.
The signal was clear: Canadians should judge this government not on its talking points or press releases, but on its ability to make meaningful progress on these seven interrelated goals.
In this environment, measuring perception matters more than ever. Clear priorities create clarity for citizens but also accountability. If the public understands what the government says it’s doing, they’re better equipped to notice when it falls short or reward it when it succeeds.
Back in June, we asked a core set of questions that we will track every few months. Here we report on the latest results completed in mid-August.
A Clear List Still Resonates
From the beginning, Carney’s approach has been different. By narrowing the government’s agenda to seven focused priorities spanning affordability, housing, economic unification, sovereignty, partnerships, spending, and immigration, he invited Canadians to judge his leadership against a concise list.
The good news? That clarity continues to pay off. All seven priorities are still supported by a majority of Canadians, and most continue to rank high in importance.
91% say lowering costs and helping Canadians get ahead should be a top or lower priority (up 2 points).
85% support making housing more affordable (up 1).
85% also back efforts to unify Canada’s economy by removing trade barriers and fast-tracking major projects (also up 1).
Even the more complex items — like trade partnerships and fiscal restraint — continue to hold support from roughly 80% of the population. The only exception is immigration, though 74% still believe it should be on the government’s radar.
This suggests the Carney government hasn’t lost alignment. But as we’ve seen before, alignment isn’t the problem. Expectation management might be.
Relevance to Everyday Life
When asked if achieving these priorities would be good for them personally, the pattern held from last wave but with more nuance.
The public still overwhelmingly believes that lowering costs would benefit them directly (77%, up 3), and housing affordability, economic unification, and sovereignty each score above 60%. But once again, macro-level goals like trade partnerships and immigration trail, with 58% and 50% respectively seeing them as good for their lives.
This gap between macro-importance and personal relevance remains one of the central communications challenges facing the government. Canadians understand why these issues matter. They just don’t always feel them.
Where Progress Is Felt and Where It Isn’t
Which brings us to the real test: how much progress do people think is actually being made?
Here, the story gets more complicated.
We combined “on track” and “ahead of schedule” responses to create a momentum score. The results are telling:
48% believe the government is on track or better when it comes to protecting Canada’s sovereignty, the highest of any priority and unchanged from June.
44% say the same about economic unification (down 5 points).
But only 26% believe the government is on track with affordability efforts (down 6).
And just 27% feel progress is being made on housing (down 3).
The biggest drop in progress is on the economic and security relationship with the U.S. Only 1 in 3 think things on on track, down 13 from June.
This decline is especially concerning because affordability and housing remain the top two priorities for Canadians, and also the ones they feel matter most in their daily lives.
Among Liberal voters, the numbers are slightly better, but not by much. Only 38% of Liberals say the government is making progress on affordability. That’s lower than for trade, sovereignty, or even immigration.
What It Means for the Carney Government
These numbers offer a clear message heading into the Cabinet retreat: the government’s agenda is still supported. But the clock is ticking on visible delivery.
Perceptions of progress have declined across almost every priority, with the steepest drop, 13 points on the international trade and security partnership file as uncertainty around tariffs and CUSMA continue to make Canadians feel insecure. While that drop may reflect the high expectations created by recent diplomatic events, it also points to a need for clearer messaging around what has been accomplished.
The public isn’t giving up on Carney’s priorities. But they are watching closely. And they’re increasingly impatient on the kitchen-table issues that brought this government to power.
As the Cabinet plans its next moves, momentum needs to become the message, not just through words, but through action that people can see, feel, and experience.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Mistake Patience for Indifference
Clarity creates accountability. And the Carney government is being held to the standard it set for itself: seven clear goals, one unified direction.
So far, Canadians still agree with the list. They still believe it would make their lives better. But as progress ratings decline, especially on the issues they care most about, the risk grows that this alignment turns into frustration.
The fall will be a critical moment. The right decisions and the right signals could still shift the storyline. But only if Canadians start to feel that what matters to them is finally starting to move.
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About Abacus Data
We are Canada’s most sought-after and influential full-service market and public opinion research agency.
But what we really do is identify the unmet needs of your audience and develop strategies for you to meet those unmet needs first.
Through qualitative and quantitative research methods, our deep experience and and wide perspective, we ask the right questions that capture insights, show you where things are going to be, and help our clients navigate some of their biggest challenges, deepen relationships with customers and stakeholders, and better understand the road ahead.
About David Coletto
David is one of Canada’s best known and most respected public opinion analysts, pollsters, and social researchers. He works with some of North America and Europe’s biggest and most respected brands, associations, and unions andis frequently called upon by news organizations,
to assess public opinion as events happen.
In January 2024, The Hill Times recognized him as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Canadian Politics noting, “when David Coletto releases polling numbers, Ottawa listens.”
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Survey Methodology
The survey was conducted with 1,915 Canadians from August 15 to 19, 2025. A random sample of panelists were invited to complete the survey from a set of partner panels based on the Lucid exchange platform. These partners are typically double opt-in survey panels, blended to manage out potential skews in the data from a single source.
The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of the same size is +/- 2.2%, 19 times out of 20.
The data were weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched Canada’s population according to age, gender, and region. Totals may not add up to 100 due to rounding.