A new survey shows regardless of age, gender or lifestyle, Canadians put health care at the top of their list when it comes to concerns about government policies, followed closely by jobs.

“Lately there’s been a greater focus on health care,” Nick Nanos, the President of Nanos Research told 680News, saying up until now, it was a back-and-forth battle between the two top concerns.

“I think a lot of it has to do with the negotiations that are taking place in Ontario between the doctors and the government. It’s kind of heightened health care, especially in the province of Ontario,” he said.

Education came in at third place, followed by safe communities in fourth.

The research also found that only 7.1 per cent of Canadians are confident in politicians’ ability to find solutions to any of these issues.

“You know [when people are playing hockey] and [people] show up and they think they’re going to lose the game before they even start? I think that’s how Canadians feel when they look at their politicians trying to solve problems,” said Nanos.

Nanos hopes the country’s premiers – currently meeting in Halifax – will take note.

“I think it just shows that it’s very important for them to come out with something specific. They don’t have to have what I’ll say [is] the solution to everything, but to show that they can come forward with proposals that can make a difference, that can have an impact, in order to start moving the dial on a lot of these important issues.”

The survey of approximately 2,000 people was conducted in July as part of the Institute for Research on Public Policy’s special 40th anniversary issue of Policy Options magazine.