More than half of respondents to a survey by Nanos Research rated Prime Minister Mark Carney’s performance in dealing with U.S. President Donald Trump as very good or good.Mark Schiefelbein/The Associated Press
Mark Carney gets a passing grade from Canadians when it comes to handling Donald Trump on trade matters, despite the Prime Minister’s lack of success so far in persuading the U.S. President to cut punitive tariffs on goods such as steel, aluminum and autos, a new poll suggests.
Fifty-six per cent of respondents to a survey by Nanos Research rated Mr. Carney’s performance in dealing with Mr. Trump as very good or good. Nineteen per cent said it’s been average and 18 per cent said it’s been poor or very poor. Another 3 per cent were unsure.
In all, Canadians were more than twice as likely to rate the Prime Minister’s performance as good or very good instead of poor or very poor.
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The poll also found Canadians are more likely to be confident rather than not on whether the country will be able to protect its economic interests should Canada reach a new trade agreement with the United States, with 58 per cent of respondents saying they were confident or somewhat confident.
However another 39 per cent said they were not confident or somewhat not confident in this. Another 3 per cent were unsure.
Pollster Nik Nanos said the number of Canadians lacking confidence is noteworthy.
“Although net positive in terms of overall score when it comes to protecting Canada’s economic interests, a noticeable number lack confidence,” Mr. Nanos said. “This captures the fact that the trade situation is a work in progress, with some Canadians outright doubtful.”
He said Mr. Carney’s positive scores in handling the U.S. administration “are likely a result of his proactiveness, and also the recognition there is only so much Carney can do in his dealings with Trump.”
The poll of 1,028 Canadians was conducted between Aug. 30 and Sept. 3 and is considered accurate to within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. It was commissioned by The Globe and Mail.
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The survey found younger Canadians aged 18 to 34 have less confidence than Canadians aged 55 and up on whether a deal can be struck to protect the country’s interests. Forty-nine per cent of younger Canadians have some degree of confidence, versus 63 per cent of older ones, the poll found.
Overall confidence is lower in Quebec, at 49 per cent confident or somewhat confident, than in other regions.
Older Canadians also have a more positive impression of Mr. Carney’s performance with Mr. Trump. Sixty-four per cent of those aged 55 and up rate it as good or very good, whereas 47 per cent of Canadians aged 18 to 34 feel the same way.
Since returning to office earlier this year, Mr. Trump has hit Canada with a string of tariffs: 50 per cent on steel and aluminum, 25 per cent on autos and 35 per cent on any goods traded outside the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, with the exception of oil, gas and potash, at 10 per cent. His administration has also significantly hiked duties on Canadian softwood.
Both Mr. Carney and Mr. Trump missed several deadlines to reach a trade deal this summer, but talks continue.