Stephen Taylor

The CBC can't even tie its own skates

The CBC just lost the most Canadian story of all The state broadcaster can't tie its own skates

Every major initiative Guilbeault championed as environment minister has been scrapped, suspended, or struck down by the courts. His own party did most of the scrapping after facing the disaster named Justin Trudeau.

Danielle Smith dunks on Steven Guilbeault The UCP is fundraising over the departure of an eco-zealot.

Another day, another scandal about the CBC.

The CBC just spent another $5 million proving its critics right Conservatives say the state broadcaster's latest hostility is par for the course

The Liberals have given up on Canada.

Carney cedes Canadian airspace to Trump Canada's airspace isn't ours anymore

I warmed up the Substack today to talk about how everyone seems to be against Mark Carney's internet snooping bill. I think I'll do this more often.

The tech leaders against Carney's Bill C-22 The government doesn't understand this moment

Would you like the Liberal government to stop sneaking its agenda in through the backdoor?

Non-binding motions: the end-run around Parliament Non-binding parliamentary motions and UN declarations are expressions of values. They carry no force of law. But Canadian bureaucracies have treated them as signals to build programs, create offices,

Why do Liberals like dodging accountability?

Carney to prorogue Parliament after by-elections? Is Mark Carney set to shutter Parliament after April's by-elections? With a backdoor majority in reach, prorogation would let him dodge accountability for a lackluster record on the economy.

Would you like Canada to be a serious country?

Air Canada CEO caves to the mob Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau is retiring after years of pressure over not speaking French. A week after a fatal crash at LaGuardia, no one is talking about airline safety.

In today's polarized environment, traditional polls may be hitting their ceiling. Questions are often partisan-coded, capturing tribal loyalties more than genuine beliefs or nuanced motivations.

As evolutionary psychology reminds us, people increasingly answer to signal group allegiance rather than reflect honest views on complex issues like climate, immigration, or media trust.

A recent Abacus Data poll (Jan 2026) highlights stark divides: only 34% of the Conservative base sees climate change as urgent (vs. 69% overall), while 74% favor severe immigration reductions (vs. 57% others). Media trust? Just 23% of the base believes mainstream outlets report facts fairly.

These gaps aren't just ideological—they reflect deeper drivers like economic insecurity and community change that indirect, less leading questions could reveal more accurately.

As Canada navigates another election cycle, I argue it's time to rethink polling: embrace indirect probes and leverage AI (embeddings, semantic mapping) to cut through the noise and uncover shared instincts across party lines.

Conservatives, in particular, could benefit from smarter insights that align with pragmatic, common-sense priorities.

What do you think? Have polls lost their edge in our polarized era? Or are they still essential? Would love your take.

https://www.stephentaylor.ca/2026/01/26/are-canadian-political-polls-still-useful/