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Poll: Canadians want relaxed regulations permanently relaxed

New Canadian think tank SecondStreet.org released public opinion research today that shows a majority of Canadians support continuing to keep relaxed red tape measures permanent – continue to allow doctors to videoconference with patients, continue to allow restaurants to deliver alcohol with meals and other measures.

Since COVID-19 took hold in Canada, governments across Canada have been easing restrictions to help citizens and businesses. SecondStreet.org has been keeping a list of such measures and recently contracted Leger to poll Canadians on ten of those measures.

“One positive development since COVID-19 emerged is that we’ve seen governments of all stripe easing many regulations to help people and businesses,” said SecondStreet.org President Colin Craig. “From allowing restaurants to continue to deliver alcohol to letting people renew their driver’s licences over the phone or by email, there’s lots of public support for keeping the restrictions relaxed.”

Specifically, the May 1 – 3, 2020 Leger poll shows majority support for continuing to allow:

  • Pharmacies to deliver medication to customers at home (91%)
  • Patients to videoconference with doctors (87%)
  • Pharmacists the discretion to extend a customer’s prescription for medication (81%)
  • Motorists to renew their drivers’ licenses over the phone, by email or online (81%)
  • Court participants to submit documents electronically (74%)
  • People to have their wills witnessed by a notary public by videoconference (66%)
  • Victims impact statements during parole board hearings by phone (64%)
  • Consumers to order alcohol with take-out and delivery orders (64%)
  • Products to be sold in Canada even if the product’s packaging is not bilingual (64%)
  • Consumers to have cannabis delivered to their homes by local cannabis stores (51%)

To see SecondStreet.org’s policy brief along with Leger poll data – click here.

 

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