Only 41 per cent of them said they were voting for Stephen Harper's party because they wanted a Conservative government, compared to 54 per cent who said they were casting their ballots for the sake of change.
The remaining five per cent didn't know why they were voting Conservative or did not answer the question.
| Conservative voters: | |
| Are you voting Conservative mainly because you think it's time for a change or mainly because you want a Conservative government with different policies and directions? | |
| Total | |
| mainly because time for a change | 54 |
| mainly because want a Conservative government | 41 |
| DK/NA | 5 |
- CBC/RADIO-CANADA 2006 PRE-ELECTION SURVEY: Full results [pdf format]
"The support they gained is not support for radical change."
The telephone survey of 2,034 Canadians was conducted for CBC and Radio-Canada from Jan. 20 to 22. It is considered accurate to within plus or minus 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
- FROM JAN. 23, 2006: Conservatives celebrate minority government victory
"There are a couple of things the Conservatives have promised that are really important to Canadians," Dasko noted.
Those items of consensus include:
- Getting tougher on sentences for crime, especially crime committed with handguns, which won 88 per cent support.
- Reforming the Senate by holding elections for vacancies rather than having the prime minister appoint people, which was supported by 71 per cent of those polled.
- Lowering the GST, if it means removing income tax cuts previously announced by the Liberals.
- Getting rid of the gun registry, which enjoys heavy support in Quebec as well as urban regions of the country.
- Taking away the Liberal-promised national day-care system, even if the Conservatives replace it with a plan to give parents $100 a month for every child under six.
On another contentious issue, the poll found that 66 per cent of respondents did not want Harper's party to bring the same-sex marriage issue back to Parliament for a free vote, as he has promised. A total of 30 per cent of people polled did want to see that vote happen, and five per cent had no opinion or did not answer the question.
The poll also suggested what Canadians might like to see Harper tackle first once he becomes prime minister. Asked what single issue was the most important in influencing their votes:
- 22 per cent of respondents named health care.
- 10 per cent spoke of honesty, ethics or accountability in government.
- Six per cent said the economy was of primary importance.
- Five per cent named taxes or tax cuts.
| Thinking about all the issues in the current federal election, which one is the most important in influencing your vote? | |
| Total | |
| Health care/health care system | 22 |
| Honest/ethics/accountability | 10 |
| Economy | 6 |
| Taxes/tax cuts | 5 |
| Environment/pollution | 4 |
| Education | 4 |
| Sponsorship scandal/Gomery Commission | 3 |
| Social issues/social safety net/social programs | 3 |
| Crime/law and order | 3 |
| Same sex marriage | 2 |
| Child care | 2 |
| National unity/Quebec | 2 |
| Liberals in power too long/need change in government | 2 |
On another note, the survey found Canadians in a cynical mood, with 67 per cent not expecting politicians to keep their campaign promises. However, 71 per cent agreed with the statement that it makes a big difference what political party is in power in Ottawa.
