Canadian Political Polls

[Michael Bluth]

I had highlighted those points in the first post on the poll.

Still, the Liberals had been running a poor third in many polls all last year in Quebec. To be in a statistical tie is actually an improvement.

The CROP poll worries me though because I think the PQ and with it, the BQ, benefit from Quebec opposition to the war. The Strategic Counsel poll was taken before the latest casualties.

I'm sorry, I must have missed where you mentioned a statistical tie in post #1296...

An interesting point that has been missed is that most of the Liberal growth in support appears to be coming on the island of Montreal. Which doesn't leave them much room for growth. They only hold one seat in Quebec outside greater Montreal.

It appears that the Federalist option in the 'hinterlands' of Quebec is definitely the Conservatives.

[M.Dancer]

I had been told to place polls in one thread by a few people and have done so ever since. I thought if I didn't do it, they would be moved here anyway. I'm not sure what the policy is in regards to that to be honest.

I know, but I want to be on record as saying it is cumbersome. I wonder if a forum on Canadian polls might work better....where titles like SEC POLL AUGUST 2007 could be seen.

Threads with more than 500 replies are just too large.

[jbg]

Threads with more than 500 replies are just too large.

In general yes. But if something's a continuing topic of discussion it's logical.

[capricorn]

I know, but I want to be on record as saying it is cumbersome. I wonder if a forum on Canadian polls might work better....where titles like SEC POLL AUGUST 2007 could be seen.

Threads with more than 500 replies are just too large.

Having one thread on polls provides continuity. It is interesting to see the ups and downs of the numbers.

I agree 500+ replies is large especially when one wants to review what has been said previously on a particular subject. But I find these are in the minority.

[Canuck E Stan]

Apologies---old poll.

Edited September 3, 2007 by Canuck E Stan

[Fortunata]

You don't know many people from Vancouver then as there is not a single Tim Horton's within the city limits -save coffee kiosks in gas stations. Shameful, as Timmy offers a fine chicken salad sandwich, soup of the day and medium coffee for $7.

Just to update you Vancouver King, there are indeed real Tim Hortons in Vancouver. There were two within 2 blocks each side of the Delta downtown. One Starbucks across the street; their lineups weren't as long as Timmies. Nice crowds there, since I'm a country hick I chatted them up. By the way, not one person I asked admitted to voting for the Steve party and won't. Hmmmmm.

[jdobbin]

Canadians fear takeovers.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/070906/...reign_takeovers

A large majority of Canadians believe the recent flurry of foreign takeovers of Canadian firms is a bad thing for the economy and want the government to intervene, a new poll suggests.

The Canadian Press-Harris-Decima poll was surprising, not in that it found Canadians getting worried about the so-called "hollowing out" of corporate Canada, but that such a large portion of respondents - 72 per cent, including 66 per cent of Conservative supporters - said they want the government to act.

The poll of 1,000 respondents conducted between Aug. 30 and Sept. 2 came at a time when a series of iconic Canadian firms, including Bell Canada (TSX:BCE), Alcan (TSX:AL), Falconbridge, Inco, Dofasco, and The Hudson's Bay Co. have either been swallowed up or are targets of foreign interests.

If the economy enters a recession, the pollster says these takeovers might register as a voting issue.

[bush_cheney2004]

Canadians fear takeovers.

If the economy enters a recession, the pollster says these takeovers might register as a voting issue.

If all the foreign ownership and investment walks away, they'll fear recession more than "takeovers".

[geoffrey]

Canadians fear takeovers.

This is exactly the problem with politicans today. They will sell out to the ignorant majority to get re-elected. Take a stand. Tell Canadians the truth, that these are good things. And they'll either take it or leave it.

Just because a majority of Canadians don't like it, doesn't mean that they are bad.

[jdobbin]

This is exactly the problem with politicans today. They will sell out to the ignorant majority to get re-elected. Take a stand. Tell Canadians the truth, that these are good things. And they'll either take it or leave it.

Just because a majority of Canadians don't like it, doesn't mean that they are bad.

I think what Canadians fear is that job rationalizations and uncompetitive behaviour is the result of mergers and takeovers.

It is hard to argue that we have a more competitive financial market because of bank takeovers in Canada in some respects. The job losses resulting from all the trusts, brokerage firms and other financial entities bought over were large and the result has been less competition, not more. Canadians pay a pretty hefty price in having only a few big banks with fingers in every pie.

It is probably for this reason that there was so much resistance in having four of the five big bank merge into two super banks.

I have no problem allowing mergers and takeover if Canada puts some teeth in the anti-competition laws.

[jdobbin]

Latest Environics polls on people's attitudes towards the environment.

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.ht...726&k=25757

Climate change tops most Canadians' list of environmental concerns except in Manitoba and Saskatchewan where survey respondents placed it fifth, according to an Environics Research Group poll released today.

"Climate change is seen as something that is affecting the Prairies less so than other parts of the country where we go through extremes of heat and drought that we're not accustomed to," said David MacDonald, Environics' group vice-president of consumer research.

Prairie folk are simply more used to extreme weather, he said. "Winters are still pretty harsh in the prairies. They're still very, very cold whereas last December in Toronto, I was waxing my car in the driveway, which was unusual. In Central Canada we're seeing climate change in a much greater capacity."

Nationally, 23 per cent of Canadians put climate change as their Number 1 environmental concern, followed closely by air quality at 21 per cent. In Alberta and British Columbia, 22 per cent of respondents were worried about climate change, compared with just seven per cent in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Atlantic Canadians appear to be most worried about climate change, with 32 per cent putting it first, while 26 per cent of Quebecers ranked it Number 1.

The issue is a leading concern because it underlies all other environmental problems, said Sidney, B.C., resident Brian Pearson, who worries about the future for his 12 grandchildren.

It looks like in any coming election, political parties will have to deal with Canadian feelings regarding global warming.

[old_bold&cold]

You are probably right that all the parties will have to dela with Climate change, but I do not see it being a real election altering subject. While the PC'S are the only party to have actually done anything, even if most say it is not enough, it does show that they have set deadlines and limits. The Liberals with 13 years of a majority, did absolutely nothing on Kyoto, and never even set one dead line or limit. So anything they may now say is just posturing and the people of Canada will not be so easily taken in. What I do think will be made clear in any election upcoming is the costs of each level we try to achieve. This will be where the fire hits the pan so to speak, and yes it will seperate those who thought this was a free or not a costly action, to find out that what many are screaming for would mean taxes would be 15-20% higher in all levels of taxation. Once that is made clear we will see the attitude that maybe second best or even third best will be ok. That is why I do not think it will hold much sway when things come into the open.

[M.Dancer]

Latest Environics polls on people's attitudes towards the environment.

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.ht...726&k=25757

It looks like in any coming election, political parties will have to deal with Canadian feelings regarding global warming.

My feelings about global warming is I would prefer it in the winter.

[jdobbin]

My feelings about global warming is I would prefer it in the winter.

I think that is probably the reason that global warming is not regarded as being as big a problem in Manitoba although economically, it is bad for any community dependent on winter roads.

[jdobbin]

Latest column by Nik Nanos and the issue of trust.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/Comment/2007/09...483522-sun.html

During what was supposed to be a quiet break between Christmas and New Year's during the last federal election, the RCMP launched a bombshell allegation against the Liberals.

The result was immediate. According to the SES Research election tracking on behalf of CPAC, the percentage of Canadians who trusted Paul Martin dropped an astounding 10 points in one night.

This critical juncture changed the landscape, tilting the election from a probable Liberal minority victory to a Conservative minority victory.

With the promise of something different, Harper rode a wave of anger directed at the Liberals and broke their 13-year grip on power.

More than a year after the 2006 victory, Stephen Harper continues to fare well on the trust and ethics front.

One year after his victory, the polling showed that he had increased the percentage of Canadians who considered him the most trustworthy leader by 14 points.

Fast forward to the summer of 2007 and we have Elections Canada questioning a Conservative initiative which transferred money from the national campaign to local ridings to fund advertising.

Regardless of whether anything improper was done or not, the Conservatives should be wary of any perception that they worked around the intent of the rules.

If the Conservatives have trouble arguing that those expenses were legitimately incurred by the local candidates, it may have to account for these funds as part of the national campaign budget.

To do so would mean that the Conservative national campaign exceeded the $18.3-million spending limit and be in violation of Canada's election laws.

Harper's fight with his own appointee on a variety of issues but particularly on election spending is something that could affect the prime minister in terms of trust.

[Pliny]

Latest column by Nik Nanos and the issue of trust.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/Comment/2007/09...483522-sun.html

Harper's fight with his own appointee on a variety of issues but particularly on election spending is something that could affect the prime minister in terms of trust.

I would like to dispel the myth that the Chief Electoral Officer was appointed by Harper. He was not.

Appointment of the Chief Electoral Officer

The position of Chief Electoral Officer of Canada was created in 1920 in an effort to streamline the conduct of federal elections. The Chief Electoral Officer is appointed by a resolution of the House of Commons. This procedure, based on a simple majority rule, allows all parties represented in the House of Commons to participate in the selection process, adding to the independence of the position. Save for the first Chief Electoral Officer, who was nominated by statute in 1920, all chief electoral officers have been appointed unanimously.

Edited September 11, 2007 by Pliny

[jdobbin]

I would like to dispel the myth that the Chief Electoral Officer was appointed by Harper. He was not.

Harper used to battle with Kingsley who was a appointed by the Mulroney government in 1990. I guess they were wrong back then. The early Reform party would have approved of the nominee.

Edited September 11, 2007 by jdobbin

[jdobbin]

Latest federal poll from Decima.

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/AL...DpO6h2o2G-n3plw

Despite their byelection success in Quebec, the federal Conservatives aren't making much progress toward the level of support they need to give them their hoped-for majority.

A new Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey found the Tories deadlocked with the Liberals in public support, with no signs of momentum. But the poll confirmed the Liberals' troubles in Quebec as voters were casting ballots in three ridings there.

Conservatives had 32 per cent support, compared with 29 per cent for the Liberals. That spread is covered by the poll's margin of error, which is 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The poll found the NDP had the support of 17 per cent of respondents nationally, while the Green party had 14 per cent and the Bloc Quebecois five per cent.

Results from the last three weeks of polling suggested the Tories and Liberals were tied at 31 per cent, with the NDP at 15 per cent, the Greens at 13 per cent and the Bloc at eight per cent.

Bruce Anderson, president of Harris-Decima, said the data indicate that the strong economy isn't benefiting Stephen Harper and his Conservatives. But Stephane Dion and the Liberals aren't finding much traction either.

32% isn't enough for a majority for Harper. He can take some comfort in Dion not gaining any traction and losing a safe seat but this should give Tory election hawks some pause about an election now.

[jdobbin]

The latest CROP poll in Quebec.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/070926/...da_election_col

Heading into a possible election does not come without risks for the separatists, however. They just suffered a crushing loss to the Conservatives in one of the September 17 by-elections in Quebec.

In the province, the Bloc has the support of 31 percent of voters, nine points below what it won in the last general election, according to a CROP poll released in Wednesday's La Presse newspaper.

The Conservatives are at 27 percent, up slightly from their 2006 electoral showing, and the Liberals slightly down at 19 percent.

Support among francophones for Liberals of both provincial and federal stripes are both down to critical levels.

[M.Dancer]

The latest CROP poll in Quebec.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/070926/...da_election_col

Support among francophones for Liberals of both provincial and federal stripes are both down to critical levels.

That sould give Duceppe some pause about whether he will support the throne speech or not. If the Conservatives manage 25 or more seats in Quebec, I would say a majority would not be out of the question. That being the case, I hope (honestly) they get 20. I still think this is the best minority government in my lifetime and I want it to stay that way.

[jbg]

That sould give Duceppe some pause about whether he will support the throne speech or not. If the Conservatives manage 25 or more seats in Quebec, I would say a majority would not be out of the question. That being the case, I hope (honestly) they get 20. I still think this is the best minority government in my lifetime and I want it to stay that way.

Whar minority governments do you have to choose from? The Clark minority government? The Martin minority government? The Diefenbaker and Pearson governments? Yes, I guess they were all pretty awful.

What would be wrong with a Harper majority government?

[M.Dancer]

Whar minority governments do you have to choose from? The Clark minority government? The Martin minority government? The Diefenbaker and Pearson governments? Yes, I guess they were all pretty awful.

What would be wrong with a Harper majority government?

You omitted the second best minority we have ever had.

The Trudeau minority of 72-74.

What's wrong with a Harper Majority? Who would keep him in line? Given that he can count on no more that 40% of the electorate, he doesn't deserve to govern with checks and balances.

[jbg]

You omitted the second best minority we have ever had.

The Trudeau minority of 72-74.

I can't imagine much good about Trudeau. He basically almost wrecked a perfectly good, even great country for no good reason. Edited September 29, 2007 by jbg

[capricorn]

What would be wrong with a Harper majority government?

There's a poll somewhere on the forum where one of the choices is whether a Harper majority would be a nightmare for Canada. Last time I looked, it lead the opinion in terms of being undesirable for the country. The Conservative *hidden agenda* and *scary, scary* still scores.

[jbg]

There's a poll somewhere on the forum where one of the choices is whether a Harper majority would be a nightmare for Canada. Last time I looked, it lead the opinion in terms of being undesirable for the country. The Conservative *hidden agenda* and *scary, scary* still scores.

As in this ad:

Harper is

1. Eating your children;
   
2. In his kitchen;
   
3. At 24 Sussex Drive;
   
4. In Ottawa;
   
5. In Ontario;
   
6. In Canada
   

I'm not making this up. I'm not allowed to make this up.

Choose your Canada!!!