Tories Spend More on Political Polls

[jdobbin]

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=141684

Under Stephen Harper's Conservatives, the federal government spent more money on polling and focus groups last year than in any other since Ottawa began tracking the total costs of public opinion surveys.

More than $31-million was spent sampling opinions in 2006-07, the first full fiscal year under a Tory government, according to a Public Works and Government Services Canada report.

The Tories out-spent all the previous Liberal governments on public opinion research.

Last year's total marked a 17% bump in spending from 2005-06, a year when fewer polling contracts were conducted due to the January, 2006, federal election. But the Tories' public opinion spending still topped the 2004-05 figure, when the Paul Martin Liberal government issued survey contracts worth $29.1-million.

Does anyone remember this famous quote from Stephen Harper?

This party will not take its position based on public opinion polls. We will not take a stand based on focus groups. We will not take a stand based on phone-in shows or householder surveys or any other vagaries of pubic opinion.

I guess that is another broken promise.

Edited December 4, 2007 by jdobbin

[ScottSA]

I guess that is another broke promise.

I guess this is another lame bottom of the barrel scraping to smear Harper. I can just see it...the Liberals steal millions and are caught eating minority babies, but dobbin is off sluething the origins of holiday card lists and spending their own money. How much are the Liberals paying you anyway?

[Fortunata]

And once again another Con deliberately misses the point. And then attacks the poster for posting news. And then ... the Liberals.

Harper said he didn't believe in polls and wouldn't govern according to polls.

But they have spent a record $31 million doing just what they said they wouldn't. Not of their money. Ours. Taxpayer money. My money. Your money.

Another flipflop by the Steves.

[ScottSA]

Once again another Liberal misses the irony.

[scribblet]

This is getting to be spam - same old same old...

cheers

[Guest coot]

same old same old...

That's for sure. Same old broken promises.

[Canuck E Stan]

How much are the Liberals paying you anyway?

Good question.

....and the enthusiasm for hitting on Harper is more intense the last couple of weeks.

A directive from the boss man? ......as the Liberals claim to go into election mode?

[Michael Hardner]

An interesting fact for me is that I don't remember seeing Scott defend Harper since he was elected. I'm wondering if he was at least partly sitting on the fence with the man, given the Liberalish ways of the government since they got elected.

As for this 'controversy', the Conservatives don't have a political genius like Chretien to help them navigate through these unfamiliar waters, so they have to use science. Also, keep in mind that these polls and focus groups result in more change than a general election, so try to think of it as a 'more democratic' approach to governing. It helps.

Edited December 4, 2007 by Michael Hardner

[runningdog]

gotta love these Cons...the Liberals do it and they all chirp away, but when steve and his far right party do it, it's 24/7 "Hey, what's the big deal??"

disgusting.

[jdobbin]

I guess this is another lame bottom of the barrel scraping to smear Harper. I can just see it...the Liberals steal millions and are caught eating minority babies, but dobbin is off sluething the origins of holiday card lists and spending their own money. How much are the Liberals paying you anyway?

Don't know what this has to do with Harper's statement on opinion polling and their present spending on polls. That is Canadian taxpayer money being spent by a government that made a promise not to be ruled by polls.

As for your personal attack, there is no place for it in these forums.

[jdobbin]

....and the enthusiasm for hitting on Harper is more intense the last couple of weeks.

A directive from the boss man? ......as the Liberals claim to go into election mode?

Directives and people getting paid? It is nothing more than personal attacks. Suffice to say, I doubt anyone gets paid for posting here. It is an attempt to run down other posters while avoiding the substance of what a thread is about.

Edited December 4, 2007 by jdobbin

[Michael Bluth]

And once again another Con deliberately misses the point. And then attacks the poster for posting news. And then ... the Liberals.

Another flipflop by the Steves.

Are you really taking another poster to task for their behaviour on the forums and four lines later breaking the rules with the use of "the Steves"?

What sort of moderation allows behaviour like that to continue?

[capricorn]

IMO opinion polls and surveys are useful tools for government. We can object if we find the amount spent excessive but we'll never see them disappear.

In the OP's linked article it is reported that in 2004-05, Martin spent $29.1M on such surveys. That's a mere $1.9M less than the Conservatives in a one-year period. I don't hear any non-supporting Conservatives objecting to the reported spending by Martin on these polls and surveys.

[Fortunata]

Once again another Liberal misses the irony.

You can call me liberal and be correct, sorta, but not Liberal. Regardless of my label, yes, I did miss the irony and still am missing it. Perhaps you could enlighten me. Maybe I'm just not getting it because I am not Liberal.

In the OP's linked article it is reported that in 2004-05, Martin spent $29.1M on such surveys. That's a mere $1.9M less than the Conservatives in a one-year period. I don't hear any non-supporting Conservatives objecting to the reported spending by Martin on these polls and surveys.

Martin did not stand up and say this (and do just the opposite):

This party will not take its position based on public opinion polls. We will not take a stand based on focus groups. We will not take a stand based on phone-in shows or householder surveys or any other vagaries of pubic opinion.

And here we find this same man outdo any other spending in the history of government. Just more Harperservative spending.

[capricorn]

The issue of expenses for polling came up in Question Period today. The Conservatives said these polling contracts are requested by individual departments and they are looked into this matter.

[Topaz]

The issue of expenses for polling came up in Question Period today. The Conservatives said these polling contracts are requested by individual departments and they are looked into this matter.

The MINISTER, who we NEVER see in Parliament, because he's also a senator made by Harper, had his sec. says he was SURPRISED by the money spent!!! Maybe Harper should replace the minister with someone who can do their job. BTW, would the minister of public service pickup 2 pay cheques, one for being minister of public works and being a senator??

[capricorn]

The MINISTER, who we NEVER see in Parliament, because he's also a senator made by Harper, had his sec. says he was SURPRISED by the money spent!!!

The Conservatives had already commissioned a review on polling expenses and were about to release the results of the review.

"The numbers come while the government is preparing to release a report on past government polling written by former Parti Québécois cabinet minister Daniel Paille - an exercise Liberals have called a partisan witch hunt."

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news...78-9552d188335a

That tells me the Conservatives were already concerned about that spending and took action via the review to find out where and why this spending took place. Good move IMO.

BTW, would the minister of public service pickup 2 pay cheques, one for being minister of public works and being a senator??

I don't have a clue. Why don't you email him and ask him directly?

[Michael Bluth]

BTW, would the minister of public service pickup 2 pay cheques, one for being minister of public works and being a senator??

Yes.

Just like the PM and all the other Ministers pick up two cheques. One for being MPs and one for being a minister.

Although they just cut them one cheque...

[jdobbin]

IMO opinion polls and surveys are useful tools for government. We can object if we find the amount spent excessive but we'll never see them disappear.

In the OP's linked article it is reported that in 2004-05, Martin spent $29.1M on such surveys. That's a mere $1.9M less than the Conservatives in a one-year period. I don't hear any non-supporting Conservatives objecting to the reported spending by Martin on these polls and surveys.

Was Harper wrong to criticize the amount of polling Martin did considering the amount of polling he does now?

[Michael Bluth]

Was Harper wrong to criticize the amount of polling Martin did considering the amount of polling he does now?

Why not provide the criticisms Harper made so we can judge accurately?

[jdobbin]

The Conservatives had already commissioned a review on polling expenses and were about to release the results of the review.

"The numbers come while the government is preparing to release a report on past government polling written by former Parti Québécois cabinet minister Daniel Paille - an exercise Liberals have called a partisan witch hunt."

That tells me the Conservatives were already concerned about that spending and took action via the review to find out where and why this spending took place. Good move IMO.

This was only in regard to old spending. There is no study on new spending when it comes to polls.

It was Harper who showed his disdain for government by polling. His quote in 2005 was after he heard what Martin spent on polls. And now he has past that amount in his own term on government.

[capricorn]

Was Harper wrong to criticize the amount of polling Martin did considering the amount of polling he does now?

I haven't seen anything that shows Harper criticized Martin. It appears the money reportedly spent on polling was actually commissioned by individual departments. It may well be this will be the conclusion of the Paille review. That is what the Conservatives were looking into with that review. So if as a consequence of this review there is reason to criticize Martin then yes Harper should criticize Martin but not sooner. We won't know until the Paille report is released which I understand is imminent.

As usual, non-supporting Conservatives jumped on the Conservatives to paint Harper as having broken a promise not to govern by polls before knowing whether those polls were commissioned independently by departments without Harper's or even Martin's knowledge. If it is found that departments rely excessively on polls and focus groups, I expect him to take measures to rectify this problem.

[capricorn]

Why not provide the criticisms Harper made so we can judge accurately?

You beat me to it. I addressed that very point in my response to jd's post. Where did Harper criticize Martin? If the bureaucracy is overzealous on spending money on opinion polls I want to know, regardless of which party was at the helm.

[windyman]

At least Harper didn't waste 100 million dollars in a pathetic attempt to get party support in Quebec. 31 million dollars is chicken feed compared the the handouts the liberals gave quebec during the sponsorship debacle

Edited December 5, 2007 by windyman

[jdobbin]

I haven't seen anything that shows Harper criticized Martin. It appears the money reportedly spent on polling was actually commissioned by individual departments. It may well be this will be the conclusion of the Paille review. That is what the Conservatives were looking into with that review. So if as a consequence of this review there is reason to criticize Martin then yes Harper should criticize Martin but not sooner. We won't know until the Paille report is released which I understand is imminent.

As usual, non-supporting Conservatives jumped on the Conservatives to paint Harper as having broken a promise not to govern by polls before knowing whether those polls were commissioned independently by departments without Harper's or even Martin's knowledge. If it is found that departments rely excessively on polls and focus groups, I expect him to take measures to rectify this problem.

After data was released under the Freedom of Information act that showed the Martin government had commissioned polls through the PCO to find out what Canadians thought about the Iraq War, this is what Stephen Harper said:

"This party will not take its position based on public opinion polls. We will not take a stand based on focus groups. We will not take a stand based on phone-in shows or householder surveys or any other vagaries of pubic opinion... In my judgment Canada will eventually join with the allied coalition if war on Iraq comes to pass. The government will join, notwithstanding its failure to prepare, its neglect in co-operating with its allies, or its inability to contribute. In the end it will join out of the necessity created by a pattern of uncertainty and indecision. It will not join as a leader but unnoticed at the back of the parade."

- Hansard, January 29th 2003.

The poll was commissioned by the PCO at the time. The same PCO is where several of the Tory polls are commissioned.