2. IMPRESSIONS OF GOVERNMENT OF CANADA
2.1 ECONOMIC FUTURE
First Nations people living on-reserve are generally optimistic or neutral
about their future economic prospects over the next 12 months. Four in
ten residents expect their economic future to improve (with 25 per cent
indicating slightly better and 15 per cent much better). A similar proportion
(42 per cent) believe their economic outlook will remain about the same
over the next 12 months. A minority, 16 per cent, indicated that their
economic future would worsen slightly or a lot.
 D
The data from the 2001 and 2002 First Nations surveys are not strictly
comparable on this item (owing to a change in the response categories
in 2002 that included a "stay the same" option). If the middle category
of responses in 2002 is excluded from the computation, the distribution
of responses across the remaining categories is similar (i.e., within
about five percentage points). Respondents in 2002 are slightly more likely
to indicate their economic prospects as getting much better compared to
those in 2001. In 2002, residents are less likely to have provided a "don't
know" response (perhaps because of having the option of choosing a "the
same" category in 2002).
Comparing the 2002 First Nations data with general public perceptions,
First Nations people are more likely to expect their economic future to
stay the same compared to Canadians overall, whereas the general public
are more apt to describe their future economic situation as worsening
slightly. Overall, Canadians' sense of economic optimism has become more
neutral between 2001 and 2002.1
- Men and youth (under age 25) are more optimistic about their economic
future compared to other First Nations people.
- Higher-educated and higher income residents are more apt to expect
their economic prospects to be about the same over the next 12 months.
- Those who are not in the labour force and indicated poorer levels
of health tend to be more pessimistic about their economic future. Residents
of British Columbia and Alberta are also more likely to think their
economic future will worsen in the next 12 months.
2.2 IMPRESSIONS
First Nations residents are divided in their assessment of the performance
of both their federal and provincial governments, although neither level
of government is rated very highly. Almost one quarter (24 per cent) of
respondents rated the performance of the Government of Canada as good,
while 34 per cent rated its performance as bad and the remainder (40 per
cent) feel it is neither good nor bad. Roughly the same number (21 per
cent) rated the performance of their provincial government as good, although
a much larger proportion (42 per cent) rated their provincial government's
performance as bad.
The assessment of the performance of the Government of Canada is very
similar to that obtained in the first survey of First Nations people living
on-reserve conducted in 2001. The rating of the performance of the federal
government given by First Nations residents differs only somewhat from
that of the general public in a recent survey. In this recent survey of
the general public, 29 per cent rated the performance of the federal government
as good and 39 per cent rated it as bad.
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A higher proportion of First Nations residents rated the performance
of their provincial government as poor than the general public did. In
a September survey of the general public, 31 per cent rated the performance
of their provincial government as good and 39 per cent rated it as bad.
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- The views of First Nations people on the performance of both levels
of government vary by income, education and literacy levels, with more
affluent individuals (with higher incomes, greater education and literacy)
being more likely to rate government performance poorly, and less advantaged
respondents more likely to rated government performance as good. Similarly,
individuals from communities with a below average socio-economic status
rating are more apt to say that federal and provincial government performance
is good.
- The youngest residents (age 16 to 24) are the most positive in their
ratings of the performance of both levels of government.
- Those who have contacted the Government of Canada in the three months
preceding the survey and parents whose children attend schools off-reserve
are more likely to have rated government performance poorly.
- The rating accorded to the performance of both the provincial and
federal governments varies by region. Residents in Saskatchewan and
Atlantic Canada are more favourable in their rating of both levels of
government, while those in British Columbia and Ontario are more negative.
2.3 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES
Survey respondents were offered a number of randomly paired priority
areas and asked to choose the one that stands out as being the highest
priority for the Government of Canada from the two choices offered. Overall,
the area selected most frequently when paired against any other was education
(selected 70 per cent of the time when randomly assigned into a pair).
Children were selected as the second priority (selected 66 per cent of
the time), followed by health care, job skills and housing. Land claims
was chosen as a priority area for the federal government half of the time
that it was paired against/support other areas. The remaining six areas
were selected less than half of the time that they were paired against
other areas.
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A comparison of these results to the same question in 2001 indicates
that there are few differences with respect to people's ordering of federal
government priorities. Education and children are still the top two priorities,
however, they have switched places in terms of ordering. Health care is
still ranked third. Housing has become a slightly more important priority,
relative to last year, while the priority of land claims has slipped to
some degree.
- Education is less likely to be seen as a priority by First Nations
people with a lower socio-economic status, those between the ages of
45 and 54, individuals who rated their literacy level as below average,
as well as residents of the Atlantic region.
- Children are more likely to be a priority for those with a middle
education level (i.e., high school diploma) and residents of Saskatchewan.
On the other hand, those in the highest income brackets and 45 to 54
year old individuals are less apt to select children as a high priority.
- Health care is an average to above average priority for all income
groups except for those who make $50,000 or more. It is also a priority
for First Nations people with the lowest levels of education, as well
as Francophones, older individuals (over 55 years of age), and those
outside of the labour force. People rating their own health as poor
and residents of communities with an above average socio-economic rating
also selected health care as a priority more often.
- Job skills are a high priority for proportionately more people with
lower socio-economic status, as well as individuals with lower (self-rated)
literacy skills, and residents of Manitoba. Residents of Quebec, however,
are least likely to have selected job skills as a high priority area
for the Government of Canada, as are individual living in the largest
communities (with over 3,000 residents). Those coming from communities
with an above average socio-economic rating are more likely to rate
job skills as a high priority.
- Housing is a significantly higher priority for First Nations people
with children, compared with those who do not have children (selecting
it 61 per cent of the time, compared with only 40 per cent of the time
among those without children). Manitoba residents again stand out as
valuing housing more than First Nations residents in other provinces,
while those living in Quebec are least likely to feel this way. Those
coming from communities that are assigned a rating of above average
with respect to socio-economic status are less likely to rate housing
as a high priority.
- Land claims was selected as a priority by a proportionately higher
number of individuals who rated their literacy level as below average.
- Economic development was selected more frequently by Francophones
and residents of Quebec than by other segments of First Nations communities.
- Unemployment is more of a priority for residents of the smallest First
Nations communities (with fewer than 750 people).
- The environment was selected by a higher proportion of individuals
who rated their health as poor. It is also more likely to be viewed
as a priority by residents of Ontario and the Atlantic, relative to
residents of other parts of the country. Those residing in communities
with an average socio-economic status rating are less likely to rate
the environment as a high priority.
- Managing resources was selected as a priority by a larger proportion
of people with lower income levels (under $30,000) and those outside
of the labour force. Those coming from communities that are assigned
a rating of above average with respect to socio-economic status are
less likely to rate managing resources as a high priority.
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