When it comes to the federal government's plan to recruit upwards of 100,000 more people into the trades, one demographic stands to benefit the most: young men. Those inside Prime Minister Mark Carney's government say the pledge, announced last week as part of the spring economic update, reflects commitments he has made around building more homes and getting major infrastructure projects off the ground. It's also coupled with the need to fill persistent labour gaps in key trades at the same time as the government cuts back on immigration and battles high youth unemployment.
Still, with men more likely to enter the trades than women, even with efforts to boost their participation, some Liberals have taken note, as pollsters see a shift in support among men, even those younger than 50, towards Carney.
Liberal MP Acknowledges Alienation
Thunder Bay-Rainy River Liberal MP Marcus Powlowski said, "As someone who has two teenage boys, I do agree that under prime minister Justin Trudeau we seem to have alienated a lot of particularly young males," which he called unfortunate. "I think our government truly wants to represent all Canadians, including young men."
Polling Data Shows Shift
Abacus Data CEO David Coletto says while Carney enjoys positive reviews from a broad swath of Canadians, he sees proof of him having made gains with men, including among younger cohorts. The first reason Coletto points to is the fact he is not Trudeau, a former prime minister whom men had a "particular dislike" for, as compared to Carney, whose government he says is making moves "in sharp contrast" to what his predecessor was doing, particularly in placing more focus on economic growth and resource development, which fit with what men tend to find the most important.
For Dan Arnold, chief strategy officer at Pollara Strategic Insights, who had worked in Trudeau's office until 2021, says men under 50 were Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's "bread and butter in the last election," but that his grip on those voters is slipping. This was a group, he says, who "felt a little offside from the Trudeau agenda," both in terms of policy and persona.
Policy and Persona Differences
Gender equality, reconciliation and climate change — all hallmark Trudeau policies — simply do not stand as priorities among younger men, Arnold says. He also sees Carney as having a style that appeals to men, including through visuals that are more "male-coded" pointing to his recent social media video discussing the Canada-U.S. relationship, where he referenced Sir Isaac Brock and military history. Compare that to Trudeau's style, which Arnold described as "empathetic, caring politician vibe" appealing more to women.
Men may also have an easier time connecting with Carney, seeing in him a prime minister who cheers for the Edmonton Oilers and laces up to skate with hockey players, leading to a perception of him being, "more masculine as a leader than Mr. Trudeau was," says Coletto.
