Society: Polls in Canada
Poll Results Collected by National Post
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[Comment by Kwing Hung: My vote in red]
National Post Online Vote Results
» September 17, 2002:
Would you support the Kyoto protocol even if it meant paying more for your electricity?
RESULTS:
Yes - 32%
No - 68%
» September 13, 2002:
Would you support a pre-emptive attack on Iraq if sanctioned by the United Nations?
RESULTS:
Yes - 71%
No - 29%
» September 10, 2002:
Should Omar Khadr, the Canadian youth being held by U.S. forces in Afghanistan for his suspected role in al-Qaeda, be given special treatment because of his age?
RESULTS:
Yes - 14%
No - 86%
» September 7, 2002:
Should the Canadian Coast Guard be authorized to enter capsized boats if lives are at stake?
RESULTS:
Yes - 97%
No - 3%
» September 4, 2002:
Do you believe that baby boys should be circumcised?
RESULTS:
Yes - 35%
No - 65%
» August 30, 2002:
Should there be mandatory labelling of genetically-modified foods in Canada?
RESULTS:
Yes - 75%
No - 25%
» August 27, 2002:
Should Jean Chrétien step down sooner than in 18 months as promised?
RESULTS:
Yes - 85%
No - 15%
» August 22, 2002:
Should SUV, pickup truck and minivan owners have to pay a “gas-guzzling” tax?
RESULTS:
Yes - 53%
No - 47%
» August 20, 2002:
Do you think enough has been done to ensure the safety and security of commercial flights in Canada?
RESULTS:
Yes - 26%
No - 74%
» August 16, 2002:
Should Canada open up the domestic airline industry to U.S.-based airlines?
RESULTS:
Yes - 70%
No - 30%
» August 13, 2002:
Should former Ontario premier Mike Harris run for leader of the federal Tory party?
RESULTS:
Yes - 64%
No - 36%
» August 9, 2002:
Should all provinces become officially bilingual, as is New Brunswick?
RESULTS:
Yes - 14%
No - 86%
» August 6, 2002:
Should the U.S. use military force to oust Saddam Hussein?
RESULTS:
Yes - 53%
No - 47%
» August 2, 2002:
Should the federal government increase paid maternity leave to two years?
RESULTS:
Yes - 33%
No - 67%
» July 30, 2002:
Should Canada’s marriage laws recognize same-sex marriage?
RESULTS:
Yes - 26%
No - 74%
» July 26, 2002:
Do you think Canada is in for back-to-back economic downturns?
RESULTS:
Yes - 50%
No - 50%
» July 23, 2002:
Should a man who’s had a sex change be allowed to compete in a woman’s sporting event?
RESULTS:
Yes - 18%
No - 82%
» July 19, 2002:
Should the possesion of small amounts of marijuana be decriminalized?
RESULTS:
Yes - 74%
No - 26%
» July 16, 2002:
Should Paul Martin release the names of donors to his leadership campaign now?
RESULTS:
Yes - 33%
No - 67%
» July 12, 2002:
Do you believe globalization increases or decreases poverty around the world?
RESULTS:
Increases - 45%
Decreases - 55%
» July 9, 2002:
A year from now do you think the loonie will be higher or lower than the current rate of roughly US 65.62 ¢?
RESULTS:
Higher - 59%
Lower - 41%
» July 5, 2002:
Do you believe Jean Chrétien, the Prime Minister, will survive the Liberal party’s leadership review in February?
RESULTS:
Yes - 55%
No - 45%
» July 2, 2002:
Is George W. Bush right that peace can only be achieved in the Middle East if Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat gives up power?
RESULTS:
Yes - 60%
No - 40%
» June 27, 2002:
Most immigrants and refugees move to Canada’s big cities. Should they be allowed in only if they agree to live in areas of the country that need them most?
RESULTS:
Yes - 63%
No - 37%
» June 21, 2002:
Do you support George Bush’s policy of pre-emptive attacks in self-defence against terrorists abroad?
RESULTS:
Yes - 62%
No - 38%
» June 18, 2002:
Should unmarried couples who live together be required to share their property 50/50 if their relationship ends?
RESULTS:
Yes - 34%
No - 66%
» June 21, 2002:
Do you support George Bush’s policy of pre-emptive attacks in self-defence against terrorists abroad?
RESULTS:
Yes - 62%
No - 38%
» June 7, 2002:
Who is more to blame for the current division within the Liberal Party: Jean Chrétien or Paul Martin?
RESULTS:
Paul Martin - 13%
Jean Chrétien - 87%
» June 3, 2002:
Was/is corruption in the federal government a bigger problem under Brian Mulroney or Jean Chrétien?
RESULTS:
Brian Mulroney - 23%
Jean Chrétien - 77%
» May 29, 2002:
Are the cabinet reshuffle and Chretien’s eight-point ethics reform plan enough to restore the federal government’s credibility on ethics?
RESULTS:
Yes - 5%
No - 95%
» May 27, 2002:
Do you blame Canada or the United States for our lack of influence on President Bush’s protectionist policies?
RESULTS:
Canada - 71%
United States - 29%
» May 17, 2002:
Had you been voting in a federal by-election this week, would you have voted Liberal?
RESULTS:
YES - 16%
NO - 84%
» May 14, 2002:
Should Catholic schools be allowed to prevent gay couples from attending high school dances?
RESULTS:
YES - 51%
NO - 49%
» May 10, 2002:
Do you agree with the Opposition’s charges that the federal government is corrupt?
RESULTS:
YES - 92%
NO - 8%
» May 5, 2002:
Do you support efforts to ban smoking in all public places?
RESULTS:
YES - 56%
NO - 44%
» May 1, 2002:
Do you think professional hockey has become too violent?
RESULTS:
YES - 74%
NO - 26%
» April 25, 2002:
Would you support a 10 cent a litre gas tax to help pay for Canada’s commitment’s under the Kyoto Accord?
RESULTS:
YES - 19%
NO - 81%
» April 20, 2002:
Should Canada raise the age of consent for sexual activity from 14 to 16?
RESULTS:
YES - 76%
NO - 24%
» April 20, 2002:
Should Canada lessen its military commitment to the war on terrorism?
RESULTS:
YES - 28%
NO - 72%
» April 17, 2002:
Is Canada a more just society because of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms?
RESULTS:
YES - 30%
NO - 70%
» April 13, 2002:
Should the federal Tories keep Joe Clark as their leader?
RESULTS:
YES - 61%
NO - 39%
» April 10, 2002:
Should the Tories and the Canadian Alliance field shared candidates in the next federal election?
RESULTS:
YES - 53%
NO - 47%
» April 6, 2002:
Are you confident that your own economic prospects will improve this year?
RESULTS:
YES - 41%
NO - 59%
» Mar. 30, 2002:
Should the federal government bail out the softwood industry by paying the full cost of the proposed U.S. lumber tariff?
RESULTS:
YES- 34%
NO - 66%
» Mar. 27, 2002:
Should works of the imagination deemed pornographic be supressed even if they have artistic merit?
RESULTS:
YES- 68%
NO - 32%
» Mar. 22, 2002:
Should the Canadian Alliance merge with the federal Tories?
RESULTS:
YES- 52%
NO - 48%
» Mar. 19, 2002:
Do you believe a low dollar helps or hinders Canadian businesses?
RESULTS:
Hurts - 75%
Helps - 25%
» Mar. 9, 2002:
Should Zimbabwe be ousted from the Commonwealth?
RESULTS:
YES - 88%
NO - 12%
» Mar. 6, 2002:
Should there be mandatory road tests for drivers over age 75?
RESULTS:
YES - 79%
NO - 21%
» Mar. 2, 2002:
Should scientists be able to use leftover human embryos from infertility clinics for medical research?
RESULTS:
YES - 54%
NO - 46%
» Feb. 27, 2002:
Should Canada ratify the Kyoto Agreement and cut greenhouse gas emissions, or would doing so harm the Canadian economy?
RESULTS:
YES, Canada should ratify - 87%
NO, it would harm the economy - 13%
» Feb. 23, 2002:
Is a 16-year-old mature enough to refuse potentially life-saving medical treatment?
RESULTS:
YES - 48%
NO - 52%
» Feb. 20, 2002:
Should Canadian child custody and access laws be overhauled in favour of the concept of shared parenting?
RESULTS:
YES - 91%
NO - 9%
» Feb. 16, 2002:
Should Canada support a U.S.-led attack on Iraq?
RESULTS:
YES - 58%
NO - 42%
» Feb. 13, 2002:
Given the recent controversy over judging, should figure skating be an Olympic sport?
RESULTS:
YES - 36%
NO - 64%
» Feb. 9, 2002:
Do you think the majority of athletes at the winter Olympics have used performance- enhancing drugs at some point in their careers?
RESULTS:
YES - 64%
NO - 36%
» Feb. 6, 2002:
Should talking on hand-held cell phones while driving be banned?
RESULTS:
YES - 79%
NO - 19%
» Feb. 2, 2002:
Do you agree with U.S. President George Bush that Iraq, Iran and North Korea are an “axis of evil” that must be confronted?
RESULTS:
YES - 58%
NO - 42%
» Jan. 30, 2002:
Do you think there are enough women in the federal Cabinet?
RESULTS:
YES - 53%
NO - 47%
» Jan. 26, 2002:
Do you think the Al-Qaeda fighters held at the U.S. military base in Cuba are being treated appropriately?
RESULTS:
YES - 81%
NO - 19%
» Jan.23, 2002:
Which sport do you think should be dropped from the Olympics?
RESULTS:
Archery - 9%
Biathlon - 2%
Equestrian - 18%
Ice dancing - 35%
Synchronized diving - 36%
» Jan.19, 2002:
Do you think reopening the Canada Health Act would lead to lower standards of medical care?
RESULTS:
Yes - 34%
No - 66%
» Jan.16, 2002:
Should Prime Minister Jean Chrétien stay on to lead the Liberal party into the next federal election?
RESULTS:
Yes - 20%
No - 80%
» Jan.12, 2002:
Should Canada deport suspected terrorists who may face torture in their home countries?
RESULTS:
Yes - 91%
No - 9%
» Jan. 9, 2002:
Do you think governments should establish medical savings accounts that would pay people a bonus for staying healthy and not using the health care system?
RESULTS:
Yes - 66%
No - 34%
» Jan. 5, 2002:
Do you think the Australian state of New South Wales’ technique of forcing young arsonists to visit burn victims in hospital should be adopted by Canada?
RESULTS:
Yes - 96%
No - 4%
» Jan. 2, 2002:
Eric Lindros has admitted to having his seventh concussion. Should he quit hockey?
RESULTS:
Yes - 86%
No - 14%
» December 29, 2001:
Afghanistan’s new defence ministry has asked the United States to cease air strikes. Should the U.S. continue bombing Afghanistan?
RESULTS:
Yes - 58%
No - 42%
» December 27, 2001:
Should all airline passengers be asked to remove their shoes during the security check before boarding?
RESULTS:
Yes - 48%
No - 52%
» December 21, 2001:
Do you agree that all hockey players, regardless of age, should be required to wear full face protection?
RESULTS:
Yes - 65%
No - 35%
» December 15, 2001:
Do you think Ralph Klein’s admission that he has a drinking problem undermines his leadership as the premier of Alberta?
RESULTS:
Yes - 29%
No - 71%
» December 15, 2001:
Would you like to see Osama bin Laden executed or brought to trial?
RESULTS:
Executed - 56%
Brought to trial - 44%
» December 10, 2001:
Does the military and security spending outlined in the budget make you feel safer?
RESULTS:
Yes - 14%
No - 86%
» December 8, 2001:
Should assimilation be a priority for Canada’s policy on native peoples?
RESULTS:
Yes - 64%
No - 36%
» December 5, 2001:
Should Israel respond to Palestinian terrorism with sustained millitary force, as the U.S. has responded to Osama bin Laden?
RESULTS:
Yes - 64%
No - 36%
» December 1, 2001:
Was Indigo/Chapters CEO Heather Reisman right to pull Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf from her stores’ shelves?
RESULTS:
Yes - 19%
No - 81%
» November 27, 2001:
Is the limiting of debate by invoking closure an efficient way to pass important legislation, or an abuse of power by government?
RESULTS:
19% - an efficient way to pass legislation
81% - an abuse of power by government
==============================
Albertans lead opposition to Kyoto: poll
Canadians’ commitment to environment doesn’t go as far as new taxes, results show
Kate Jaimet
The Ottawa Citizen
Friday, December 27, 2002
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Albertans are the most ardent climate-change skeptics and lead the country in opposing the Kyoto protocol, a poll conducted for Maclean’s, Global television and the Citizen, suggests.
But people in the other provinces could easily turn to Alberta’s way of thinking, if the fight against greenhouse gases hits consumers in the pocketbook, the poll conducted by the Strategic Counsel indicates.
“If it comes at an economic cost to me, personally, then you see support just evaporates,” said pollster Michael Sullivan. “That suggests that if the opponents of Kyoto really worked hard in the other provinces, they could drive support down, just as they have in Alberta. Because there’s nothing really holding that support up in any tangible way.”
The telephone survey of 1,400 adults was conducted Nov. 1-12.
It indicates people in Alberta, where the provincial government has waged a loud and aggressive fight against Kyoto, are considerably more opposed to the accord than people in any other province.
Kyoto is inimical to entrenched interests in Alberta, because it is based on scientific evidence that attributes global climate change to emissions caused by burning oil, gas and coal -- the resources that form the basis of Alberta’s riches.
In Alberta, 21 per cent of people ranked Kyoto as the most important issue facing Canada, compared to just three per cent of people nationwide.
A majority 59 per cent of Albertans felt Canada should reject the international agreement, compared to 25 per cent nationwide.
And only 48 per cent of Albertans accepted the scientific theory that the use of fossil fuels in cars and factories is causing global warming through a buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere; overall in Canada, 67 per cent of people accepted this theory. “People find it easy to say: ‘Well, I don’t believe the science,’ and that’s a way of, kind of, escaping the issue,” Mr. Sullivan said.
The nationwide statistics are considered accurate within three percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The results for Alberta, based on a smaller sample size, are considered accurate within 5.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
When it comes down to taking individual actions to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, the poll suggests Canadians are not as environmentally virtuous as they would like to appear. Less than half of the people surveyed -- just 48 per cent -- said they would be willing to pay a tax on a new car based on its fuel consumption. That number was consistent across provinces when the margin of error was taken into account.
The regional margins of error, at a 95 per cent confidence level, were within 5.8 percentage points in both B.C. and Alberta, 7.5 in Saskatchewan/Manitoba, 5.1 in Ontario, 5.8 in Quebec and 6.7 in Atlantic Canada.
A large number of people -- 77 per cent nationwide -- said they would be willing to invest in home insulation to save on energy for heating. But only 41 per cent said they would be willing to pay more for manufactured goods. Only in Atlantic Canada did the number rise significantly, to 50 per cent.
“You ask yourself, how committed are you to this whole Kyoto issue? It suggests that we talk a good line, but if it’s going to cost us anything, we back right off,” Mr. Sullivan said.
Overall, the poll found that environmental issues are not uppermost in most people’s minds. Only eight per cent of Canadians ranked the environment as the most important issue facing Canada. Within environmental issues, 35 per cent of Canadians named air or water pollution as their top concern.
Air quality ranked highest in the smog-prone provinces of Ontario and Quebec, where 26 per cent of people rated the air as their top concern.
Contaminated water was the highest priority in Atlantic Canada, with 24 per cent of people naming it as their top environmental worry.
In B.C., people were fairly evenly split in rating air quality, water quality and overpopulation as their top concerns.
Only in Alberta, where Kyoto has become a high-profile economic and political issue, was the climate change protocol named as the top environmental concern by 15 per cent of respondents. In the rest of the country, only four per cent of people ranked Kyoto first on their environmental worry list.
“I think global warming hasn’t really penetrated the consciousness as fully as issues that are more direct and immediate, such as air and water quality,” Mr. Sullivan said.
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Scandals have ‘shaken our trust’ in corporate Canada
45% have ‘more negative’ view of business, two-thirds blame stock scandals on executives
Jim Bronskill
The Ottawa Citizen
Thursday, December 26, 2002
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Costly corporate scandals and eye-opening ethical lapses have seriously shaken the Canadian public’s faith in the business world, a new poll suggests.
Forty-five per cent of people surveyed said their views of the business community had become “more negative” in the last year.
In addition, two-thirds of those polled believe accounting and stock-related scandals are the result of a “widespread problem” in which many business executives are exploiting a failing system.
Pollster Michael Sullivan said the numbers indicate recent high-profile fiascos have tarnished the reputation of the private sector, which was seen in the 1990s as an engine of growth and a solid pillar of society.
“They say to me that corporate Canada is in a little bit of trouble,” he said. “Certainly you can see the way the trust has been shaken.”
The Strategic Counsel surveyed 1,400 adult Canadians in early November for the Citizen, Maclean’s magazine and Global TV. The results are considered accurate to within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
The collapse of Enron and several other large U.S. corporations amid fraud and finger-pointing rocked financial markets this year, and troubling insider-trading scandals dogged Canadian institutions.
While 45 per cent of Canadians polled said their views of the business community had worsened in the last year, 47 per cent indicated their opinions were “about the same” and seven per cent had a “more positive” outlook.
The figures were remarkably consistent across the country.
Among those whose views had become more negative, 43 per cent said the key reason was concern about the “ethics and morality of business leaders” generally. Another 18 per cent cited reports of layoffs in various industries, while 13 per cent pointed to the Enron episode.
Sixty-seven per cent of Canadians polled said the debacles involving large companies in the last year constituted a “widespread problem in which many business executives are taking advantage of a system that is failing.”
Twenty-nine per cent said the scandals represented a “problem of a few corrupt individuals.” Four per cent had no answer.
“It’s pretty shocking when two-thirds of the population -- and right across the country -- tell us that they think this is a widespread problem,” Mr. Sullivan said.
The sentiment could reflect a broader trend of fading confidence on the part of Canadians in large institutions, including government and religious organizations, he added.
“The triumph of capitalism in the 1990s after the erosion of Communism really left the business community in a very commanding position, where it seemed unassailable,” Mr. Sullivan said. “And clearly this has proved to be false.”
Wesley Cragg, a Toronto professor who specializes in business ethics, said the opinions expressed in the poll have been simmering for years, stoked by distaste for the greed-soaked 1980s and the inflated stock-market values and sky-high executive salaries of the 1990s.
“This is not an aberration,” said Mr. Cragg, who teaches at York University’s Schulich School of Business. “This is a trend that’s been developing since the ‘80s.”
Asked about the prime responsibility of a major corporation’s chief executive officer, 20 per cent of those polled said it should be to ensure the company’s products or services are “of the highest quality.”
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High taxes fade from Canadians’ worry list: poll
Cuts take ‘wind from sails’ of tax protesters
Eric Beauchesne
The Ottawa Citizen
Tuesday, December 24, 2002
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Federal and provincial tax cuts appear to have wiped out any thought of what some analysts in the 1990s warned was the threat of a taxpayer revolt, new poll results suggest.
A mere three per cent in a year-end survey for Southam newspapers cited taxation as the top concern, down from 12 per cent three years ago and a peak of nearly 25 per cent immediately after the imposition of the GST.
The fading of taxation as an issue for Canadians comes in the wake of widespread tax cuts by the federal and provincial governments.
Those tax cuts have “sort of taken the wind out of the sails” of the tax protest movement, Michael Sullivan, one of the pollsters said, adding that also takes some of the pressure off governments to cut taxes further.
The Maclean’s magazine, Global TV and Southam poll of 1,400 Canadians also found that the economy, for once, is not to blame for an otherwise increasing pessimism among Canadians, which the pollsters say is probably due in part to the fallout from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
In fact, the economy has fallen dramatically, along with unemployment and taxes, as a top concern among Canadians, the results show.
The national results of the telephone survey last month by Strategic Counsel are considered accurate within 3.1 percentage points 19 times in 20. The margin of error is greater for regional results.
While the proportion of Canadians who are “more optimistic” about the future than a decade ago has fallen to a six-year low of 26 per cent, the number citing the economy as their top concern has also plunged to 14 per cent from 37 per cent six years ago, down 20 points.
“Moreover, when asked about their personal financial situation, 39 per cent report that it has improved over the last decade, an increase of almost 10 points since 1996,” the analysis noted.
The proportion saying their finances have improved over the past decade was highest in Ontario at 44 per cent, followed by 36 per cent in Alberta and 35 per cent in British Columbia and Atlantic Canada. Quebecers, at 31 per cent, were the least likely to feel they were better off than a decade ago.
Compared with a year earlier, however, only 22 per cent say their finances have improved while 32 per cent say they have worsened, likely reflecting the stock market losses of 2002.
Pessimism also hangs over the stock market, the poll found. Nationally, only 22 per cent expect stock markets to recover over the coming six months, below the 28 per cent who expect further losses.
But Canadians are still more pessimistic than optimistic about the economic future. Twenty-nine per cent say the economy is heading into a recession, while only 22 per cent see it expanding.
==============================
Canadians tight-fisted fretters, poll reveals
Many worry about health care and environment, but are unwilling to pay
Norma Greenaway
Vancouver Sun
Monday, December 23, 2002
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OTTAWA -- Canada has become a nation of tight-fisted fretters with little time for the less well off and fewer warm and fuzzy feelings about the giant neighbour to the south.
Heading into 2003, a major new survey suggests Canadians are worried about terrorism, health care, unethical business executives and the quality of the air they breathe and the water they drink.
They are torn over relations with the United States, a country that fully two-thirds describe as both a bully and a friend.
Most are loathe to send Canadian troops to bolster a pre-emptive U.S. attack on Iraq, regardless of whether it happens with UN approval, even though a majority isn’t opposed to providing such non-combat support as food and transportation.
They are not losing sleep over the plight of the aboriginal population, or, for the first time in recent memory, the health of the economy.
Still, a majority are in no mood to pay more in taxes to finance health care and environmental fixes. And there are signs of growing intolerance towards immigrants from the Muslim world and refugee claimants.
On the lifestyle front, most Canadians are sexually active and the vast majority -- about three out of every four -- admit they didn’t save themselves for marriage.
They appear to be more comfortable with three previously taboo subjects -- legally recognizing gay marriage, allowing gay couples to adopt, and decriminalizing marijuana use. Almost half support those ideas.
Such is the picture that emerges from a telephone survey of 1,400 adult Canadians that was designed to tap the mood of the country as 2002 drew to a close. The poll was conducted in early November for CanWest Global Communications, Maclean’s magazine and The Vancouver Sun by The Strategic Council, a Toronto-based polling firm.
Canadians may have not turned into total worrywarts, but the survey suggests many are feeling uptight about what the future holds for the quality of their lives.
Council analyst Michael Sullivan says one of the most interesting findings was that Canadians’ anxiety is not being driven by the usual cause, namely the economy. He said Canadians now are more anxious about what’s happening in the world than their own financial situation.
“A lot of people said the world changed radically as a result of 9/11,” he said. “And it certainly added a new layer of concern about security to our vocabulary.”
Sullivan added, however, there are many issues sharing the stage with security concerns, the leading one being health care.
The survey says 41 per cent of those interviewed were more pessimistic about the future than they were a decade ago. Only 24 per cent said they were more optimistic and 32 per cent reported their feelings unchanged.
The level of optimism hasn’t been as low since 1996, when 37 per cent said the economy and unemployment were their top worries.
More than half of respondents -- 52 per cent -- said they think it’s likely Canada could become a terrorist target.
The findings, based on a weighted sample of 1,000 interviews, are considered accurate for the country as a whole within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Social services, primarily health care, easily topped the list of Canadian concerns, leaping ahead of all other issues. Almost four in 10 people registered social services as their No. 1 concern.
The economy came a distant second at 14 per cent, with 70 per cent of those surveyed reporting their personal financial situation had stayed the same or improved in the last decade. The environment landed in third spot at eight per cent.
Canadians were cool, however, to hiking taxes to pay for enhancing either the medical-care system or the environment.
A majority of 51 per cent said they were unwilling to pay higher taxes to finance medicare. The anti-tax mood was strongest in Quebec, where 67 per cent registered their opposition. British Columbians were least opposed to the idea at 41 per cent.
On the environment, most Canadians cited air quality, water quality and global warming as their top worries but they were clearly reluctant to draw down their bank accounts to tackle global warming.
About eight in 10 respondents said they were willing to cut their personal car use or improve their home insulation. This compared to only 41 per cent who said they would be willing to pay more for manufactured goods, and 48 per cent who gave the nod to a fuel consumption tax on the next car they buy.
Though a slim majority -- 52 per cent -- said improving the living conditions of aboriginals should be a government spending priority, it paled beside other priorities. Ninety-two per cent put health at the top of the list, 88 per cent put child poverty there, 64 per cent named the military, and 62 per cent singled out upgrading urban infrastructure as the priority.
Canadians also are showing signs of intolerance towards new immigrants. Forty-four per cent favoured restricting the number coming to Canada from Muslim countries and 60 per cent said refugee claimants arriving in the country without a valid ID should be sent back on the next plane to where they came from.
On relations with the United States, Canadians are conflicted, their ambivalence fuelled in part by U.S. foreign policies that gives many pause.
Almost seven in 10 Canadians agreed the U.S. “is starting to act like a bully with the rest of the world” and six in 10 Canadians were concerned that Canada is losing its independence from the U.S.
Those sentiments are offset somewhat by the finding that 48 per cent agreed the United States, as the world’s sole superpower, has a responsibility to intervene in the affairs of other nations for the sake of global security.
That being said, the old term “our American cousins” apparently is losing its cache with more and more Canadians.
Almost three-quarters described relations as friendly but not especially close, or cordial but distant. Only 22 per cent characterized the two nations as “the best of friends,” or “like family to each other.” This was down from 33 per cent in the months following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that left more than 3,000 dead.
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50% support decriminalizing marijuana: poll
Less of an age gap than on other social issues; men more liberal
Janice Tibbetts
The Ottawa Citizen
Thursday, January 02, 2003
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Half of Canadians want the federal government to decriminalize possession of marijuana, and support for relaxed laws is not confined to the young.
The new survey comes at a time when Justice Minister Martin Cauchon says he is going to remove simple marijuana possession from the Criminal Code, but his boss, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, isn’t sure.
“It certainly says that we are a relatively liberal society on this issue,” said Toronto pollster Michael Sullivan.
The U.S. has also warned against decriminalization, saying Canada should get over its “reefer madness” if it doesn’t want to face the wrath of its largest trading partner.
The survey of 1,400 adult Canadians showed 50 per cent either strongly or somewhat support decriminalization, while 47 per cent are somewhat or strongly opposed.
The poll was conducted in early November for Maclean’s magazine, Global TV and Southam News by the Strategic Counsel, a Toronto-based polling firm. The results are considered accurate to within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
The survey showed 53 per cent of Canadians under 40 support looser laws, while 48 per cent of people aged 40 and older want to see marijuana decriminalized.
Mr. Sullivan said there was less of an age gap than there is on other social issues, such as gay marriage and gay adoption.
“I guess we should think that marijuana smoking in general started in the 1960s so a lot of people now who are 40 plus are people who may have tried marijuana in the 60s,” he said.
The survey also revealed men are more likely than women to favour relaxed laws and support is strongest among people with money. Fifty-three per cent of men said the government should act, compared to 48 per cent of women.
The findings are different than they are for most social issues, in which women tend to be more liberal than men, Mr. Sullivan said.
Support for looser laws also increased with income. Of those earning more than $100,000, 59 per cent want marijuana decriminalized. The pollsters speculated support is driven by education and affordability.
But the pollsters warned the government should proceed with caution because the results show almost half of Canadians oppose any law changes.
“This isn’t 70 or 80 per cent saying let’s do it, but it certainly suggests that this is something that should be vigorously debated and as you get more information, let’s see where people stand on it,” said Mr. Sullivan.
The poll results show British Columbia leads the pack of supporters, with 56 per cent in favour. Support in Ontario registered at 51 per cent, while 48 per cent of Albertans and Quebecers reported favouring looser laws. Support was lowest in Saskatchewan and Atlantic Canada, at 46 per cent in favour.
The Strategic Council did not ask Canadians whether they support legalization of marijuana. Rather the survey dealt with decriminalization, which would still make possession illegal, but people caught would be given a fine akin to a parking ticket rather than saddled with a criminal record.
But Mr. Sullivan suspects many of those surveyed did not distinguish between decriminalization and legalization.
Mr. Cauchon has rejected legalization, which was recommended by a Senate committee last summer, saying society still wants some sort of punishment for marijuana smokers.
==============================
60% want PM to leave before 2004
Slim majority believes Liberals will win next election: poll
Joan Bryden
The Ottawa Citizen
Tuesday, December 31, 2002
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Almost six in 10 Canadians believe Prime Minister Jean Chrétien should cut short his long goodbye, a year-end poll has found.
But despite the apparent dissatisfaction with the prime minister, a slim majority of Canadians still believes the country will stick with the ruling Liberals in the next election, when the party is led by someone new.
The poll, conducted for Maclean’s magazine, Global TV and Southam News by the Strategic Counsel, found 59 per cent of Canadians think Mr. Chrétien should retire sooner than February 2004. Only 35 per cent believe the prime minister should stick to his announced timetable.
Westerners are particularly eager for Mr. Chrétien to leave, with 70 per cent of Albertans, 61 per cent of British Columbians and 65 per cent in Mani-toba/Saskatchewan saying he should step down sooner. Sixty-five per cent of Quebecers also believe he should leave earlier while in Ontario, 56 per cent say Mr. Chrétien should leave before February 2004.
However, in the Atlantic provinces, opinion is split with 50 per cent hoping for a quick departure and 47 per cent content to wait until 2004.
The poll found men (63 per cent) considerably more eager than women (56 per cent) to see Mr. Chrétien leave.
The poll of 1,400 Canadians was conducted Nov. 1-12, before a $1-billion cost overrun in the controversial federal gun registry was revealed, sparking a new round of calls for Mr. Chrétien’s earlier departure from some of his own Liberal backbenchers.
But Canadians are unlikely to get their wish, given the Liberal party is virtually locked into holding a leadership convention next November. Hence, should Mr. Chrétien retire early, he’d be leaving the government to be headed for months by an interim leader, without a mandate from either the party or the people.
In any event, Mr. Chrétien insisted in a series of year-end television interviews he’s determined to stay until February 2004. He pointed to polls showing Canadians still support his party to dismiss calls for an earlier departure.
Indeed, the Strategic Counsel poll found that despite Canadians’ desire to bid a speedy farewell to Mr. Chrétien, a majority aren’t ready to turf his party in the next election.
Fifty-one per cent said the country will want to stay with the Liberals under a new leader. Thirty-nine per cent predicted voters will be ready for a change.
Again, westerners were the most eager to get rid of the ruling party, with most respondents in all four western provinces predicting the country will want change. Fifty-one per cent in Alberta, 47 per cent in B.C. and 49 per cent in Manitoba/Saskatchewan held this view.
However, in the more Liberal-friendly turf east of Manitoba, most predicted the country will stick with the Grits. Forty-nine per cent of Ontarians, 63 per cent of Quebecers and 51 per cent in the Atlantic provinces forecast continuing Liberal rule after the next election.
Men (56 per cent) were more likely than women (44 per cent) to predict the country will stick with the Liberals.
Michael Sullivan, a partner with the Strategic Counsel, said the continuing support for the Liberals may be superficial.
Mr. Sullivan said the Liberals are benefiting from the fact the NDP and Tories are in the midst of leadership contests, the Bloc Québécois is suffering an identity crisis as support for sovereignty collapses in Quebec and recently elected Canadian Alliance leader Stephen Harper is still trying to make his mark.
Still, Mr. Sullivan said the Liberals have “staked out such a broad middle ground” on issues that resonate with Canadians that it will be difficult for other parties to make a dent.
A poll this size is considered accurate within plus or minus 3.1 percentage points 19 times in 20. The regional margins of error, at a 95 per cent confidence level, were within 5.8 percentage points in both B.C. and Alberta, 7.5 in Saskatchewan/Manitoba, 5.1 in Ontario, 5.8 in Quebec and 6.7 in Atlantic Canada.
==============================
Health, child poverty top spending wish list
Military funding third as Canadians don’t fear terror strike: poll
Mike Blanchfield
The Ottawa Citizen
Sunday, December 29, 2002
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Canadians say their beleaguered Armed Forces need more money, but not at the expense of health-care spending or alleviating child poverty.
Nor are they ready to blindly follow the United States and Britain into a war against Iraq. And despite the terrorist attack in Bali that targeted vacationing Australians and the recent threat by Osama bin Laden that warned Canada would be punished for supporting the U.S.-led war on terror, Canadians are not unduly fearful about facing a terrorist strike at home anytime soon.
That complacent and ambivalent view of Canada’s place in the increasingly less-secure world was revealed in a year-end Maclean’s magazine, Global TV and Southam News poll.
“Canadians have been exposed to endless information about the sad state of their military. They’ve been alerted to the issue. But it doesn’t compete with health care,” said Michael Sullivan, a partner in the Strategic Counsel, the Toronto-based firm that conducted the Nov. 1-12 telephone survey of 1,400 Canadians.
The Liberal government has been under intense pressure from the U.S., and from within its own caucus, to boost defence spending. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien has indicated more money will be forthcoming.
When respondents were asked to rate national spending priorities, 64 per cent said upgrading the Canadian military was very important or somewhat important, placing it a robust third behind improving the health-care system (92 per cent), and alleviating child poverty (88 per cent). Support for military spending was highest in Atlantic Canada (78 per cent), Saskatchewan/Manitoba (75 per cent), Alberta (74 per cent) and Ontario (72 per cent), and was lowest in Quebec (45 per cent).
Only 21 per cent or respondents believed it’s a good idea to lean on our powerful American neighbour and keep defence spending down. The idea was most popular in Quebec (29 per cent) and least popular in Alberta and Atlantic Canada (14 per cent).
But when asked on which priority they would most like to see spending increased, only seven per cent said the military. Improving health care was the runaway winner at 59 per cent nationally, with child poverty at 25 per cent.
Military spending was seen as a better option than upgrading infrastructure of major cities (five per cent) and improving native living conditions (three per cent).
Canadians supported the way Mr. Chrétien has responded to the terrorism threat by a 56-40 margin. Seventy per cent of Atlantic Canadians strongly approved or somewhat approved of the response, compared to only 44 per cent of Albertans.
Slightly more than half thought it is likely that Canada will be the target of a terrorist attack. But only 13 per cent believed that is “very likely,” with 39 per cent saying it is “somewhat likely.” That left 47 per cent of population saying that it is “not too likely” or “not likely at all” the country will be attacked.
Canadians were divided on the level of threat posed by Saddam Hussein and didn’t share the enthusiasm of the U.S. and Britain for extending the war on terror to Iraq.
Forty-one per cent of Canadians said that while there is no strong evidence that Mr. Saddam has weapons of mass destruction, he should be removed from power because “we cannot afford to take a chance.” Fifty-one per cent said we have “no good reason” for attacking Iraq without evidence.
Only 14 per cent said Canada should go to war without UN backing, and only 28 per cent believed Canada should provide troops, ships and planes if the UN approves. Quebecers were the least supportive of action under either scenario, while respondents from Ontario, Atlantic Canada and the Prairies were most supportive.
A slim majority -- 53 per cent -- favoured providing non-combat support such as food, shelter and transport.
The national results are considered accurate within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The regional margins of error, at a 95-per-cent confidence level, were within 5.8 percentage points in both B.C. and Alberta, 7.5 percentage points in Saskatchewan/Manitoba, 5.1 percentage points in Ontario, 5.8 percentage points in Quebec and 6.7 percentage points in Atlantic Canada.
==============================
Most see U.S. as a ‘bully,’ survey finds
Canadians conflicted about how much support to show Americans
Norma Greenaway
The Ottawa Citizen
Saturday, December 28, 2002
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Canadians have their backs up over American foreign policy, according to a new survey that shows the vast majority believe the United States is acting like a bully with the rest of the world.
The survey suggests a chill has developed in Canada-U.S. relations compared to the empathy and support that flowed following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and for the launch of the U.S.-led “war on terrorism.”
Although almost half of those surveyed agree the United States, as the world’s sole superpower, has a responsibility to intervene in the affairs of other countries to protect global security, almost seven in 10 believe the U.S. is “starting to act like a bully with the rest of the world.”
The survey, based on telephone interviews with 1,400 adult Canadians, was conducted in the first half of November for Maclean’s magazine, Global TV and the Citizen by the Strategic Counsel, a Toronto-based polling firm.
It makes clear Canadians are conflicted about how supportive and friendly they want to be with Americans, an ambivalence some analysts say Prime Minister Jean Chrétien reflects in his reserved approach to the Bush administration.
Indeed, the survey lands as the Canadian government grapples with big issues: how to repair and enhance relations with the security-obsessed United States, the country’s largest trading partner; and if and how to support Washington in a probable U.S.-led war on Iraq.
The survey indicates Canadians don’t want the Chrétien government bending over backwards to support the U.S. in the pending war.
The findings say Canadians are ambivalent, for example, about the threat posed by Iraq and are strongly opposed to backing a U.S.-led war on Saddam Hussein with Canadian fighting units.
At the same time, a majority -- 53 per cent -- said Canada should provide some non-combat support, such as food and transportation, regardless of whether the UN Security Council approves an attack.
Michael Sullivan, an analyst with the Strategic Counsel, says the findings lay bare Canadians’ conflicted feelings about the United States.
“We obviously recognize we’re tied to the U.S. in ways that we might not have been a decade ago because of NAFTA,” he said.
But Canadians also are saying that despite shared security issues, a military partnership and a long friendship, their priorities are not necessarily the U.S. interests and the two countries may have different outlooks on things.
“As Canadians, we take pride in our role as peacemaking and peacekeeping,” Mr. Sullivan said.
“I think that that is part of our personality. We take pride in medicare, we take pride in our peacekeeping role. And when we look at the U.S., we don’t see those kind of values necessarily reflected.”
Mr. Sullivan said the strong 67-per-cent Canadian agreement with the statement the U.S. government is “starting to act like a bully” with the rest of the world is telling.
It’s not that Canadians don’t think the U.S. has a responsibility in world affairs as the lone superpower, it’s just they are upset over how the U.S. is exercising that responsibility, he said.
The survey shows more Canadians had put a distance between themselves and their U.S. counterparts by the end of this year, compared to a year earlier.
Last year, almost half of respondents -- 49 per cent -- said Canadians and Americas were “essentially” or “mainly” the same. That percentage slid to 41 per cent when the same question was asked this year.
Similarly, in the months after Sept 11, 2001, 33 per cent of Canadians said Americans are “like family” or “best friends.” A year later, the proportion dropped to 22 per cent.
The results of the survey are considered accurate within 3.1 percentage points 19 times in 20.
==============================
» January 5, 2003:
Should the federal government immediately move to ban human cloning?
RESULTS:
Yes - 79%
No - 21%
» January 9, 2003:
Should the federal gun registry be scrapped? RESULTS:
Yes - 93%
No - 7%
» January 11, 2003:
Should companies be able to hold patents to control the use of disease gene sequences?
RESULTS:
Yes - 89%
No - 11%
» January 15, 2003:
Should the federal government make tax cuts or new spending the priority in the next budget?
RESULTS:
Yes - 89%
No - 11%
» January 18, 2003:
Should Gordon Campbell resign as premier of British Columbia for driving drunk in Hawaii?
RESULTS:
Yes - 36%
No - 64%
» January 21, 2003:
Should the Lebanese ambassador be asked to leave Canada for his comments about the Canadian media?
RESULTS:
Yes - 67%
No - 33%
» January 24, 2003:
Should the federal government increase the RRSP contribution limit to $21,000?
RESULTS:
Yes - 79%
No - 21%
» January 28, 2003:
Should Ottawa ban corporate and union donations to political parties?
RESULTS:
Yes - 61%
No - 39%
» February 1, 2003:
Do you think the UN weapons inspectors' report provides justification for attacking Iraq?
RESULTS:
Yes - 57%
No - 43%
» February 7, 2003:
Is space travel worth the risk?
RESULTS:
Yes - 86%
No - 14%
» February 12, 2003:
Should elite universities receive more government funding than other schools?
RESULTS:
Yes - 22%
No - 78%
» February 15, 2003:
Is the five-year sentence given to Inderjit Singh Reyat, the man who provided the material for the bomb that brought down Air-India Flight 182, appropriate?
RESULTS:
Yes - 7%
No - 93%
» February 19, 2003:
Do you support an increase in gas taxes to dissuade people from driving SUV's?
RESULTS:
Yes - 22%
No - 78%
» March 3, 2003:
Is Ottawa's increase in spending, as outlined in the Federal Budget, a good idea?
RESULTS:
Yes - 17%
No - 83%
» March 4, 2003:
Should Canadian politicians be forced to sell off signifiant financial interests in companies before becoming cabinet ministers?
RESULTS:
Yes - 50%
No - 50%
» March 7, 2003:
Should Jean Chrétien discipline Liberal MP Carolyn Parrish over her anti-American comments?
RESULTS:
Yes - 82%
No - 18%
» March 11, 2003:
Can Canadian manufacturers stay competitive if the dollar hits US 70 ¢?
RESULTS:
Yes - 75%
No - 25%
» March 14, 2003:
Will Paul Martin's handing of his business empire to his sons avoid conflict if he becomes Prime Minister?
RESULTS:
Yes - 44%
No - 56%
» March 16, 2003:
Would you opt for a four-day work week it were offered in your province?
RESULTS:
Yes - 61%
No - 39%
» March 21, 2003:
Should Jean Chrétien have backed George Bush and offered to join the war against Iraq?
RESULTS:
Yes - 75%
No - 25%
» March 25, 2003:
Was Paul Cellucci, the U.S. Ambassador, right to rebuke Canadian politicians for not supporting the U.S.-led war on Iraq?
RESULTS:
Yes - 65%
No - 35%
==============================
» December 29, 2002:
Should the government make it illegal for the terrorist group Hezbollah to raise money in Canada, even if some of its money goes to social and political causes?
RESULTS:
Yes - 89%
No - 11%
» December 20, 2002:
Should children's books about same-sex parenting be available in school libraries and classrooms?
RESULTS:
Yes - 19%
No - 81%
» November 1, 2002:
Should police be allowed to use racial profiling when searching for suspects?
RESULTS:
Yes - 88%
No - 12%
» November 5, 2002:
Should federal inmates be able to vote in federal elections?
RESULTS:
Yes - 9%
No - 91%
» November 8, 2002:
Did the results of the vote on House of Commons committee chairs show that Jean Chrétien has lost control of his caucus?
RESULTS:
Yes - 86%
No - 14%
» November 12, 2002:
Should professional unionized firefighters be allowed to also act as volunteer firefighters?
RESULTS:
Yes - 63%
No - 17%
» November 15, 2002:
Would you be willing to pay $2,700 a year in extra energy and transportation costs to implement the Kyoto accord?
RESULTS:
Yes - 13%
No - 87%
» November 19, 2002:
Should Canada recall its troops to prevent burnout and give the government time to rebuild the military?
RESULTS:
Yes - 60%
No - 40%
» November 15, 2002:
Would you be willing to pay $2,700 a year in extra energy and transportation costs to implement the Kyoto accord?
RESULTS:
Yes - 13%
No - 87%
» November 22, 2002:
Should Canada recall its troops to prevent burnout and give the government time to rebuild the military?
RESULTS:
Yes - 23%
No - 77%
» October 29, 2002:
Would you agree to pay up to $1,400 a year for national healthcare insurance as the Kirby Report recommends?
RESULTS:
Yes - 12%
No - 88%
» October 25, 2002:
Should Lawrence MacAulay, the former Solicitor-General, have stayed in Cabinet?
RESULTS:
Yes - 9%
No - 91%
» October 22, 2002:
Should French immersion be expanded in Canadian schools?
RESULTS:
Yes - 29%
No - 71%
» October 22, 2002:
Should French immersion be expanded in Canadian schools?
RESULTS:
Yes - 29%
No - 71%
» October 18, 2002:
Is the loss of 244,000 jobs a reasonable price to pay for the reduction in greenhouse gases that would result from ratifying the Kyoto accord?
RESULTS:
Yes - 28%
No - 72%
» October 15, 2002:
Do you agree with John Manley that after Queen Elizabeth, Canada should sever its ties with the monarchy and consider a "uniquely Canadian institution?"
RESULTS:
Yes - 36%
No - 64%
» October 8, 2002:
Would you support a tax hike to pay for increased healthcare spending?
RESULTS:
Yes - 14%
No - 86%
» October 5, 2002:
Should the CBC have paid a higher salary to keep broadcaster Ron MacLean?
RESULTS:
Yes - 55%
No - 45%
» October 1, 2002:
Should Ottawa allow foreign airlines to fly domestically, thereby creating competition for Air Canada?
RESULTS:
Yes - 82%
No - 18%
» September 20, 2002:
Do you think the UN Security Council should still approve a resolution threatening Iraq, despite Iraq's offer to allow weapons inspectors?
RESULTS:
Yes - 81%
No - 19%
==============================