A newly released province-wide Environics poll shows 75% of Ontarians oppose Premier Doug Ford’s catastrophic 30% cut to Legal Aid Ontario’s budget, rising to 40% next year. Among people who reported voting for Ford in the 2018 provincial election, 44% are opposed to the Legal Aid cuts and 28% of Ford voters say these cuts make them less likely to support Ford in the next election.
“Premier Ford and Attorney General Mulroney have tried to deflect from their catastrophic Legal Aid cuts by claiming that they are protecting what matters to Ontarians. These poll results show that, in fact, legal aid matters to Ontarians,” said Dana Fisher, a Legal Aid lawyer and spokesperson for the Legal Aid Ontario Lawyers’ Local of the Society of United Professionals.
“With 44% of people who voted for the Ford PCs less than one year ago opposed to these cuts and 28% saying it will affect how they vote, it is clear that Tory MPPs are risking their jobs if they continue down this road.”
Legal Aid Ontario Lawyers continued the campaign to stop the cuts with an information picket outside Attorney General Caroline Mulroney’s Toronto office today. People entering, exiting and passing Mulroney’s office received information about the cuts and were encouraged to visit www.stoplegalaidcuts.ca to send an email opposing the cuts to Ford, Mulroney and their local MPP.
Key Poll Findings:
* 59% of all Ontarians and 63% of 2018 Ford voters were aware of the Legal Aid cuts at the outset of the poll
* The 75% opposition to Legal Aid cuts includes 55% strongly opposed and 20% somewhat opposed. Meanwhile, just 8% of Ontarians strongly support the cuts and 13% somewhat support the cuts.
* 2018 Ford voters were heavily divided on Legal Aid cuts, with 24% strongly opposed, 20% somewhat opposed, 23% strongly supportive and 30% somewhat supportive.
* Legal Aid cuts could have an impact on the next provincial election. Of those who voted for Ford’s Progressive Conservatives in 2018, 28% report that Legal Aid cuts make them less likely to vote Conservative again.
Detailed poll results are available at: http://bit.ly/laopoll [PDF]
The poll was commissioned by the Society of United Professionals. A total of 1,332 IVR (Interactive Voice Response) telephone surveys were conducted across Ontario by Environics Research from May 14-16, 2019. Both landline and mobile phone numbers were called. The results of a survey of this magnitude can be considered accurate to within plus or minus 2.7%, 19 times out of 20.
source: media release, The Society of United Professionals
