PMTube: The reviews are in!

Well, sort of: Angus Reid surveyed a representative sample of English-speaking Canadians to find out just how well the PM's Youtubified musings on drugs, crime, the environment, the seal hunt and other critical issues facing the nation went over with the electorate, although for reasons left unexplained in the ensuing news release, they did so without revealing the fact that it was, in fact, the prime minister who made the statements in question, which may or may not have altered the response.  

Big Winners

Almost nine-in-ten Canadians (87%) agree with the statement: "It's appropriate that very serious or repeat crimes would be subject to at least some kind of minimum penalty." Support is particularly high across the entire country and all demographic groups.

Three-in-four Canadians (75%) agree with the statement: "Dealing with climate change requires a continental approach and an effective international treaty." Support is highest in Quebec, where concerns about the environment have consistently been higher than in other Canadian provinces over the past year.

Two-thirds of Canadians agree with the statement: "There should not be another referendum on Quebec sovereignty." Respondents over the age of 55 are particularly supportive of this notion. In Quebec, 56 per cent of respondents voice agreement.

Mixed Reviews

Three-in-five respondents (59%) agree with the statement: "It is better to provide some money to Canadian parents than to wait for a national child care system." Three-in-ten Canadians (31%) disagree with this idea. Albertans and Quebecers are less likely to agree with the statement, as well as respondents over the age of 55.

Less than half of respondents (46%) agree with the statement: "The regulations put in place over the past generations have made the seal hunt in Canada very humane." More than a third of Canadians (35%) disagree. Atlantic Canadians are more likely to agree with this particular statement, but aside from Quebec, no other province reaches the 50 per cent mark on this question. Women and respondents aged 18 to 34 are both more skeptical about the seal hunt.

Big Losers

Two-in-five Canadians (40%) agree with the statement: "If drugs were legalized, these would never be respectable businesses run by respectable people." Support for this notion is lowest in British Columbia, and among respondents aged 18 to 34.

One-in-five Canadians (20%) agree with the statement: "Since Senators cannot currently be elected, most Senators should belong to the party that won the last federal election." Support is particularly low across the entire country and all demographic groups.

The full report -- including methodology and regional breakdowns -- is available here. It's not clear how Angus Reid went about the statement selection process, and it might have been interesting to include an excerpt from the questions as well, if only to provide some context to the PM's replies; that said, there is nothing particularly eyebrow-raising in the results, which are pretty much what you'd expect to see.