Democracy Poll

CBC/Radio Canada Pre-Election Poll

During the week leading up to the election call, the Environics Research Group polled Canadians, seeking their views on how the political system is working and how they regard the country's political, business and labour leaders. In addition to the polling results below, we also have information on the methodology used in the survey.

Throughout this document, * = less than one percent.

1. Now thinking about Canada, overall, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way things are going in this country today?

2. What do you think is the most important issue facing the country that the federal government should deal with?

3. Do you have a great deal of confidence, some confidence, little confidence, or no confidence at all in each of the following:

a) Political leaders

b) Business leaders

c) Religious leaders

d) Labour leaders

e) The media

4. Can you tell me the name of each of the following:

a) The Prime Minister of Canada?

b) The Leader of the Official Opposition in the House of Commons?

c) The Minister of Finance in the federal government?

d) The president of the United States?

5. Can you name any countries in the world outside Canada where Canada military forces are involved in peacekeeping or other military operations? Are there any others?

6. Do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements?

a) You don't really expect that politicians will keep their election promises once they are in power.

b) None of the federal political parties really addresses the problems of people like yourself.

c) Ordinary members of parliament play an important role in determining government policy.

d) It makes a big difference which political party is in power in Ottawa.

e) When a political party is elected to form a government in this country, it means that a majority of voters have voted for that party.

f) Federal elections should be held on a fixed date every four years instead of whenever the party in power wants to call it.

7. The electoral system in this country involves electing members of parliament from single-member ridings. Other countries have different systems, such as proportional representation or direct elections for the head of government. Do you think this country should change the way we elect governments or keep the electoral system we now have?

8. Do you think that most politicians are in politics mainly because they want to do something good for the country or mainly because they want to advance their own ambitions?

9. Now thinking about federal politics, which of the following party leaders: Paul Martin, Stephen Harper, Jack Layton or Gilles Duceppe.

a) Is the most capable leader?

b) Is best able to lead an honest and trustworthy government?

c) Do you like the most?

10. Now, which of the federal political parties do you think best is able to do each of the following. Is it the Liberal Party, the Conservative Party, the New Democratic Party or the Bloc Québécois?

a) Solve the health care issues facing the country.

b) Run a government with honesty and integrity.

c) Deal with Canada �V U.S. relations.

d) Handle national security issues.

e) Handle immigration and refugee issues.

f) Represent the interests of your province in Ottawa.

g) Deal with national unity and Quebec.

11. a) If the federal election were held today, which of the following parties would you vote for?

b) Perhaps you have not yet made up your mind, but is there a party you might be inclined to support?

Total sample, combining a) and b):

Decided voters only:

c) Asked of Bloc Québécois supporters in a) or b):

Which of these statements most closely reflects your intentions?

12. Which of the following factors do you think will be most important in influencing which party you vote for in this election?

13. a) As you may know, Canada decided not to send Canadian forces to Iraq in last year's U.S.-led war in Iraq. Do you support or oppose this decision?

b) And does this issue make Canada's foreign policy a more important factor in how you will vote in a federal election or does it make no difference to how you will vote?

14. Do you think the next federal election will result in a majority government or a minority government?

15. Which do you think is better for the country, a majority government or a minority government, or does it make no difference?

16. a) When it comes to the topic of national unity, do you think that Quebec sovereignty will be or will not an issue in the next few years?

b) In your opinion, is it very likely, somewhat likely, not very likely or not at all likely that a majority of Quebecers would vote Yes to sovereignty if a referendum were held in Quebec within the next five years?

17. In February, the Auditor General of Canada found that the federal government had broken normal accounting rules when it spent millions of dollars promoting the federal government in Quebec during the 1990's.

a) Has the ponsorship issue influenced you way you intend to vote in the upcoming federal election?

b) Do you think the federal government was or was not justified in trying to fight separatism by promoting the visibility of the Government of Canada in Quebec?

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