David Coletto
@davidcoletto.bsky.social
Founder & CEO of Canada’s most sought-after and influential polling firm, Abacus Data.
Prof at Carleton University.
Davidcoletto.substack.com
🚴♂️🎾🏔️📈📊
Prof at Carleton University.
Davidcoletto.substack.com
🚴♂️🎾🏔️📈📊
A big risk of AI is sentience and maybe even sci-fi catastrophe.
But right now, we should understand the slow erosion of relationships, work, and social connection in an already uncertain time.
I break down what Canadians are telling us here:
abacusdata.ca/ghost-in-th...
But right now, we should understand the slow erosion of relationships, work, and social connection in an already uncertain time.
I break down what Canadians are telling us here:
abacusdata.ca/ghost-in-th...
November 20, 2025 at 10:00 PM
A big risk of AI is sentience and maybe even sci-fi catastrophe.
But right now, we should understand the slow erosion of relationships, work, and social connection in an already uncertain time.
I break down what Canadians are telling us here:
abacusdata.ca/ghost-in-th...
But right now, we should understand the slow erosion of relationships, work, and social connection in an already uncertain time.
I break down what Canadians are telling us here:
abacusdata.ca/ghost-in-th...
AI isn’t landing in a calm, confident country. It’s arriving in a Canada shaped by cost of living stress, global instability, and a deep precarity mindset.
My latest piece explains how that shapes our reactions to AI
abacusdata.ca/ghost-in-th...
My latest piece explains how that shapes our reactions to AI
abacusdata.ca/ghost-in-th...
November 20, 2025 at 3:00 PM
AI isn’t landing in a calm, confident country. It’s arriving in a Canada shaped by cost of living stress, global instability, and a deep precarity mindset.
My latest piece explains how that shapes our reactions to AI
abacusdata.ca/ghost-in-th...
My latest piece explains how that shapes our reactions to AI
abacusdata.ca/ghost-in-th...
Nearly half of Canadians say they use AI tools. Six in ten fear more jobs will be lost than created. Only 17 percent think they’ll personally benefit.
Why the contradiction?
I unpack it in Ghost in the Machine.
👇
abacusdata.ca/ghost-in-th...
Why the contradiction?
I unpack it in Ghost in the Machine.
👇
abacusdata.ca/ghost-in-th...
November 20, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Nearly half of Canadians say they use AI tools. Six in ten fear more jobs will be lost than created. Only 17 percent think they’ll personally benefit.
Why the contradiction?
I unpack it in Ghost in the Machine.
👇
abacusdata.ca/ghost-in-th...
Why the contradiction?
I unpack it in Ghost in the Machine.
👇
abacusdata.ca/ghost-in-th...
Canadians are excited about AI and anxious about it at the same time. In my new piece, based on a talk at Carleton University this week, I explore how we’re feeling our way through this moment of tech acceleration.
Read here: abacusdata.ca/ghost-in-th...
Read here: abacusdata.ca/ghost-in-th...
November 20, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Canadians are excited about AI and anxious about it at the same time. In my new piece, based on a talk at Carleton University this week, I explore how we’re feeling our way through this moment of tech acceleration.
Read here: abacusdata.ca/ghost-in-th...
Read here: abacusdata.ca/ghost-in-th...
The real story in these numbers is just how wide that gap is growing between Mr. Carney and Mr. Poilievre and the challenge Mr. Poilievre has in expanding the audience.
Always a pleasure to join the pollsters panel on Power & Politics
Always a pleasure to join the pollsters panel on Power & Politics
November 19, 2025 at 1:30 PM
The real story in these numbers is just how wide that gap is growing between Mr. Carney and Mr. Poilievre and the challenge Mr. Poilievre has in expanding the audience.
Always a pleasure to join the pollsters panel on Power & Politics
Always a pleasure to join the pollsters panel on Power & Politics
Heading into the vote, public opinion is far from settled. Forty two percent say their MP should back the budget, thirty three percent want a vote against, and twenty five percent are unsure. A large share of Canadians are still weighing the trade offs.
Full analysis: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
Full analysis: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
November 17, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Heading into the vote, public opinion is far from settled. Forty two percent say their MP should back the budget, thirty three percent want a vote against, and twenty five percent are unsure. A large share of Canadians are still weighing the trade offs.
Full analysis: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
Full analysis: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
As MPs prepare to vote, Canadians are split.
Forty two percent want their MP to support the budget. Thirty three percent want them to oppose it. One in four are unsure. Many Canadians are still forming their views.
Full analysis: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
Forty two percent want their MP to support the budget. Thirty three percent want them to oppose it. One in four are unsure. Many Canadians are still forming their views.
Full analysis: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
Canadians React to Budget 2025: Split Views, Muddled Message, and a Test of Trust in Carney’s Leadership - Abacus Data
%
abacusdata.ca
November 17, 2025 at 1:30 PM
As MPs prepare to vote, Canadians are split.
Forty two percent want their MP to support the budget. Thirty three percent want them to oppose it. One in four are unsure. Many Canadians are still forming their views.
Full analysis: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
Forty two percent want their MP to support the budget. Thirty three percent want them to oppose it. One in four are unsure. Many Canadians are still forming their views.
Full analysis: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
“Pierre Poilievre is, by definition, polarizing.”
Among Conservative voters he has a +71 net favourable. Among everyone else, he’s at -62. That paradox is at the heart of the party’s situation right now.
The latest The Hub Canada politics podcast is now out:
youtu.be/8F8SeXB9uRg...
Among Conservative voters he has a +71 net favourable. Among everyone else, he’s at -62. That paradox is at the heart of the party’s situation right now.
The latest The Hub Canada politics podcast is now out:
youtu.be/8F8SeXB9uRg...
Can Conservatives ever win with Poilievre as party leader?
In this episode of Hub Politics, host Sean Speer is joined by Amanda Galbraith, co-founder and president of Oyster Group, and David Coletto, founder and CEO ...
www.youtube.com
November 17, 2025 at 12:45 PM
“Pierre Poilievre is, by definition, polarizing.”
Among Conservative voters he has a +71 net favourable. Among everyone else, he’s at -62. That paradox is at the heart of the party’s situation right now.
The latest The Hub Canada politics podcast is now out:
youtu.be/8F8SeXB9uRg...
Among Conservative voters he has a +71 net favourable. Among everyone else, he’s at -62. That paradox is at the heart of the party’s situation right now.
The latest The Hub Canada politics podcast is now out:
youtu.be/8F8SeXB9uRg...
Only 16 percent say the budget made them more confident the government has a clear economic plan. This is one of the most important findings. The public is searching for reassurance and many are not yet convinced.
More here: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
More here: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
Canadians React to Budget 2025: Split Views, Muddled Message, and a Test of Trust in Carney’s Leadership - Abacus Data
%
abacusdata.ca
November 17, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Only 16 percent say the budget made them more confident the government has a clear economic plan. This is one of the most important findings. The public is searching for reassurance and many are not yet convinced.
More here: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
More here: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
Support for many individual measures is strong. Buy Canadian procurement, reductions to temporary foreign workers and international students, and new export support for Canadian businesses all show high net support. The challenge is the overall narrative.
Full results: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
Full results: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
November 17, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Support for many individual measures is strong. Buy Canadian procurement, reductions to temporary foreign workers and international students, and new export support for Canadian businesses all show high net support. The challenge is the overall narrative.
Full results: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
Full results: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
Reaction to budget 2025 - before the big vote tomorrow.
Canadians chose both positive and negative words to describe the budget. This split is a key signal heading into the vote.
Findings: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
Canadians chose both positive and negative words to describe the budget. This split is a key signal heading into the vote.
Findings: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
November 17, 2025 at 3:15 AM
Reaction to budget 2025 - before the big vote tomorrow.
Canadians chose both positive and negative words to describe the budget. This split is a key signal heading into the vote.
Findings: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
Canadians chose both positive and negative words to describe the budget. This split is a key signal heading into the vote.
Findings: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
Two competing narratives are shaping reaction to Budget 2025.
Some see long term investment in housing, infrastructure, and defence. Others see rising deficits and spending.
Neither story dominates which leaves a muddled first impression.
Details here: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
Some see long term investment in housing, infrastructure, and defence. Others see rising deficits and spending.
Neither story dominates which leaves a muddled first impression.
Details here: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
Canadians React to Budget 2025: Split Views, Muddled Message, and a Test of Trust in Carney’s Leadership - Abacus Data
%
abacusdata.ca
November 17, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Two competing narratives are shaping reaction to Budget 2025.
Some see long term investment in housing, infrastructure, and defence. Others see rising deficits and spending.
Neither story dominates which leaves a muddled first impression.
Details here: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
Some see long term investment in housing, infrastructure, and defence. Others see rising deficits and spending.
Neither story dominates which leaves a muddled first impression.
Details here: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
Precarity may be our operating system for the foreseeable future. Maybe we adapt, maybe we grow numb. We don’t know. But it’s already reshaping how people work, what they expect from employers, and what kind of leadership earns trust.
open.substack.com/pub/davidcol...
open.substack.com/pub/davidcol...
Reassurance Is the New Leadership Currency
How to lead a team when precarity and uncertainty are shaping people's mindsets
open.substack.com
November 16, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Precarity may be our operating system for the foreseeable future. Maybe we adapt, maybe we grow numb. We don’t know. But it’s already reshaping how people work, what they expect from employers, and what kind of leadership earns trust.
open.substack.com/pub/davidcol...
open.substack.com/pub/davidcol...
+71 inside the Conservative Party.
-62 outside it.
Pierre Poilievre is adored by his base and distrusted by others.
That divide defines his leadership.
My latest Toronto Star column: www.thestar.com/opinion/con...
-62 outside it.
Pierre Poilievre is adored by his base and distrusted by others.
That divide defines his leadership.
My latest Toronto Star column: www.thestar.com/opinion/con...
Pierre Poilievre’s popularity is unprecedented. But is his future as Conservative leader safe?
Conservative Party of Canada members love him, but is it time to replace the party’s leader?
www.thestar.com
November 16, 2025 at 10:00 PM
+71 inside the Conservative Party.
-62 outside it.
Pierre Poilievre is adored by his base and distrusted by others.
That divide defines his leadership.
My latest Toronto Star column: www.thestar.com/opinion/con...
-62 outside it.
Pierre Poilievre is adored by his base and distrusted by others.
That divide defines his leadership.
My latest Toronto Star column: www.thestar.com/opinion/con...
Our post-budget survey shows Canadians are divided on Budget 2025.
Awareness was high at 72 percent, but only 15 percent say they are very familiar with the contents.
The story of the budget has not landed clearly.
Full report: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
Awareness was high at 72 percent, but only 15 percent say they are very familiar with the contents.
The story of the budget has not landed clearly.
Full report: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
Canadians React to Budget 2025: Split Views, Muddled Message, and a Test of Trust in Carney’s Leadership - Abacus Data
%
abacusdata.ca
November 16, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Our post-budget survey shows Canadians are divided on Budget 2025.
Awareness was high at 72 percent, but only 15 percent say they are very familiar with the contents.
The story of the budget has not landed clearly.
Full report: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
Awareness was high at 72 percent, but only 15 percent say they are very familiar with the contents.
The story of the budget has not landed clearly.
Full report: abacusdata.ca/canadians-r...
We have been here before. The Gilded Age produced instability but also the Progressive Era.
Renewal came from leaders who acted.
My new analysis argues we need the same kind of leadership now.
abacusdata.ca/leading-in-...
Renewal came from leaders who acted.
My new analysis argues we need the same kind of leadership now.
abacusdata.ca/leading-in-...
November 16, 2025 at 7:45 PM
We have been here before. The Gilded Age produced instability but also the Progressive Era.
Renewal came from leaders who acted.
My new analysis argues we need the same kind of leadership now.
abacusdata.ca/leading-in-...
Renewal came from leaders who acted.
My new analysis argues we need the same kind of leadership now.
abacusdata.ca/leading-in-...
The ‘Poilievre paradox’: strong support inside the Conservative tent, weak appeal outside it.
I break down what our polling shows on the latest Hub Politics episode.
Watch the conversation → youtu.be/8F8SeXB9uRg...
I break down what our polling shows on the latest Hub Politics episode.
Watch the conversation → youtu.be/8F8SeXB9uRg...
Can Conservatives ever win with Poilievre as party leader?
In this episode of Hub Politics, host Sean Speer is joined by Amanda Galbraith, co-founder and president of Oyster Group, and David Coletto, founder and CEO ...
www.youtube.com
November 16, 2025 at 3:00 PM
The ‘Poilievre paradox’: strong support inside the Conservative tent, weak appeal outside it.
I break down what our polling shows on the latest Hub Politics episode.
Watch the conversation → youtu.be/8F8SeXB9uRg...
I break down what our polling shows on the latest Hub Politics episode.
Watch the conversation → youtu.be/8F8SeXB9uRg...
AI is arriving in a fragile moment.
It will intensify job insecurity, misinformation, and distrust if leaders do not get ahead of the transition.
I wrote about what this means for teams, companies, and governments.
abacusdata.ca/leading-in-...
It will intensify job insecurity, misinformation, and distrust if leaders do not get ahead of the transition.
I wrote about what this means for teams, companies, and governments.
abacusdata.ca/leading-in-...
November 16, 2025 at 1:30 AM
AI is arriving in a fragile moment.
It will intensify job insecurity, misinformation, and distrust if leaders do not get ahead of the transition.
I wrote about what this means for teams, companies, and governments.
abacusdata.ca/leading-in-...
It will intensify job insecurity, misinformation, and distrust if leaders do not get ahead of the transition.
I wrote about what this means for teams, companies, and governments.
abacusdata.ca/leading-in-...
“The key question isn’t: can Poilievre get more popular? It’s: can you find someone as popular with Conservatives who can also grow the coalition?”
That’s the dilemma we unpack in this Hub Politics episode using fresh Abacus Data polling.
Watch here → youtu.be/8F8SeXB9uRg...
That’s the dilemma we unpack in this Hub Politics episode using fresh Abacus Data polling.
Watch here → youtu.be/8F8SeXB9uRg...
Can Conservatives ever win with Poilievre as party leader?
In this episode of Hub Politics, host Sean Speer is joined by Amanda Galbraith, co-founder and president of Oyster Group, and David Coletto, founder and CEO ...
www.youtube.com
November 15, 2025 at 10:00 PM
“The key question isn’t: can Poilievre get more popular? It’s: can you find someone as popular with Conservatives who can also grow the coalition?”
That’s the dilemma we unpack in this Hub Politics episode using fresh Abacus Data polling.
Watch here → youtu.be/8F8SeXB9uRg...
That’s the dilemma we unpack in this Hub Politics episode using fresh Abacus Data polling.
Watch here → youtu.be/8F8SeXB9uRg...
Pierre Poilievre’s base gives him a +71 net impression.
Among everyone else, it’s -62.
That’s how you build a movement and hit a ceiling.
My Toronto Star column: www.thestar.com/opinion/con...
Among everyone else, it’s -62.
That’s how you build a movement and hit a ceiling.
My Toronto Star column: www.thestar.com/opinion/con...
Pierre Poilievre’s popularity is unprecedented. But is his future as Conservative leader safe?
Conservative Party of Canada members love him, but is it time to replace the party’s leader?
www.thestar.com
November 15, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Pierre Poilievre’s base gives him a +71 net impression.
Among everyone else, it’s -62.
That’s how you build a movement and hit a ceiling.
My Toronto Star column: www.thestar.com/opinion/con...
Among everyone else, it’s -62.
That’s how you build a movement and hit a ceiling.
My Toronto Star column: www.thestar.com/opinion/con...
Reposted by David Coletto
Struggling to make sense of polarization and your role as a leader? This is the most important thing you'll read today.
Polarization is not just ideological. It is emotional. It grows when people feel unsafe, unseen, or left behind.
My latest piece explains how leaders can reduce zero sum thinking and rebuild trust in an age of precarity.
abacusdata.ca/leading-in-...
My latest piece explains how leaders can reduce zero sum thinking and rebuild trust in an age of precarity.
abacusdata.ca/leading-in-...
November 15, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Struggling to make sense of polarization and your role as a leader? This is the most important thing you'll read today.
Polarization is not just ideological. It is emotional. It grows when people feel unsafe, unseen, or left behind.
My latest piece explains how leaders can reduce zero sum thinking and rebuild trust in an age of precarity.
abacusdata.ca/leading-in-...
My latest piece explains how leaders can reduce zero sum thinking and rebuild trust in an age of precarity.
abacusdata.ca/leading-in-...
November 15, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Polarization is not just ideological. It is emotional. It grows when people feel unsafe, unseen, or left behind.
My latest piece explains how leaders can reduce zero sum thinking and rebuild trust in an age of precarity.
abacusdata.ca/leading-in-...
My latest piece explains how leaders can reduce zero sum thinking and rebuild trust in an age of precarity.
abacusdata.ca/leading-in-...
Weekend listen: If the Conservative vote is already “locked in,” where does Pierre Poilievre find growth?
That’s the question I tackled with Sean Speer and Amanda Galbraith on Hub Politics.
Check it out → youtu.be/8F8SeXB9uRg...
That’s the question I tackled with Sean Speer and Amanda Galbraith on Hub Politics.
Check it out → youtu.be/8F8SeXB9uRg...
Can Conservatives ever win with Poilievre as party leader?
In this episode of Hub Politics, host Sean Speer is joined by Amanda Galbraith, co-founder and president of Oyster Group, and David Coletto, founder and CEO ...
www.youtube.com
November 15, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Weekend listen: If the Conservative vote is already “locked in,” where does Pierre Poilievre find growth?
That’s the question I tackled with Sean Speer and Amanda Galbraith on Hub Politics.
Check it out → youtu.be/8F8SeXB9uRg...
That’s the question I tackled with Sean Speer and Amanda Galbraith on Hub Politics.
Check it out → youtu.be/8F8SeXB9uRg...
What’s Pierre Poilievre’s biggest challenge? Winning over voters outside the Conservative base.
On Hub Politics, Sean Speer, Amanda Galbraith, and I break down the latest Abacus Data polling and the party’s strategic dilemma.
Watch here → youtu.be/8F8SeXB9uRg...
On Hub Politics, Sean Speer, Amanda Galbraith, and I break down the latest Abacus Data polling and the party’s strategic dilemma.
Watch here → youtu.be/8F8SeXB9uRg...
Can Conservatives ever win with Poilievre as party leader?
In this episode of Hub Politics, host Sean Speer is joined by Amanda Galbraith, co-founder and president of Oyster Group, and David Coletto, founder and CEO ...
www.youtube.com
November 15, 2025 at 3:15 AM
What’s Pierre Poilievre’s biggest challenge? Winning over voters outside the Conservative base.
On Hub Politics, Sean Speer, Amanda Galbraith, and I break down the latest Abacus Data polling and the party’s strategic dilemma.
Watch here → youtu.be/8F8SeXB9uRg...
On Hub Politics, Sean Speer, Amanda Galbraith, and I break down the latest Abacus Data polling and the party’s strategic dilemma.
Watch here → youtu.be/8F8SeXB9uRg...
Two thirds of Canadians say they are focused on basic or safety needs. Not ambition. Not achievement. Survival.
This shift is driving polarization and mistrust. Leaders need a new playbook.
I lay it out here.
abacusdata.ca/leading-in-...
This shift is driving polarization and mistrust. Leaders need a new playbook.
I lay it out here.
abacusdata.ca/leading-in-...
November 14, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Two thirds of Canadians say they are focused on basic or safety needs. Not ambition. Not achievement. Survival.
This shift is driving polarization and mistrust. Leaders need a new playbook.
I lay it out here.
abacusdata.ca/leading-in-...
This shift is driving polarization and mistrust. Leaders need a new playbook.
I lay it out here.
abacusdata.ca/leading-in-...