Canadians: the Carney Trump meeting went as well as could be expected

Oval Office rapport between leaders is highly sensitive; 71% said this exchange went well, or as well as the circumstances made possible.

Few things can be more challenging these days for so many world leaders, than to make a visit to the White House to work on trade and bilateral relations, especially if there’s a sit down presser in the Oval Office.

And its possible that the stakes for a Canadian Prime Minister are even greater than for most other leaders - our economic relationship is so intertwined, and our domestic politics puts a huge priority on finding a stable and positive path forward. In our latest Spark Advocacy national survey, we asked a few questions of Canadians about how last week went.

85% of Canadians were aware of this meeting and 30% say they followed it closely. Very very few other events in a political calendar have the potential to draw as much public attention.

We asked people how they thought the meeting went, from the standpoint of Canada’s interests. Of the 85% who were aware of the meeting, 71% said it went well, or “as well as can be expected in the circumstances”. This view was 70% or higher in every region of the country but Alberta, where 64% expressed this point of view.

Just under half of those who voted Conservative this year felt this way, as did 61% of BQ voters and 64% of NDP voters.

Canadians are anxious for a resolution of this uncertainty which casts a shadow over the Canadian economy. At this point though, they continue to feel that the approach the Prime Minister is taking is a good fit for the moment. A moment that for many Canadians feels without precedent.