Fewer than half say PM has met expectations, more than half say the same about government overall

Conservatives – 35%, Liberals – 35%, NDP – 18%

LONG removed from heady memories of buoyant voters, a bright change in tone, and easy wins with the public, Canadians are approaching the two-year anniversary of the 2015 election with a far less enthusiastic, even jaundiced eye on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government, a new Angus Reid poll has found.

While they tilt slightly towards approval of Trudeau’s first two years in office – they are also

marginally more inclined to say the Liberal government’s failures have outweighed its accomplishments.

The combination of perceived hits and misses on policy and direction from the Trudeau government is changing the dynamics of federal politics in this country.

Were an election held tomorrow – the Liberal Party would find itself in a dead heat with the Conservative Party – fighting to hold onto power.

More Key Findings:

• Despite strongly supporting personal income tax changes designed to support the middle class, more than two-thirds say the Trudeau government has had no (35%) or a negative (33%) impact on this influential demographic subset

• Canadians are most inclined to say this government has enhanced this country’s reputation on the world stage (54% do)

• A plurality (41%) say the Liberals have hurt the Canadian tax system – a sign of its handling of small business tax changes over the summer

• A gender-balanced cabinet, changes to the Human Rights Code, approval of the TransMountain Pipeline, and – notably, the imposition of carbon pricing are also among this government’s most-approved-of actions so far

• By contrast, the government’s reversal on electoral reform, the $10.5 million dollar legal settlement with Omar Khadr and new immigration and refugee settlement targets are garnering the most disapproval at this two-year mark