(06/19/10) -

Canadians Welcome Air India Inquiry Recommendations

Respondents primarily blame CSIS and Airport Security Personnel for the 1985 terrorist attack.

Respondents primarily blame CSIS and Airport Security Personnel for the 1985 terrorist attack.

Following the release of the final report on the 1985 Air India bombing, a large majority of Canadians welcome the recommendation of expanding the role of Canada’s national security adviser, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.

The online survey of a representative national sample of 1,008 Canadians also found that respondents are evenly divided on whether race played a factor in how the initial investigation into the terrorist attack was handled

The Air India Bombing

On Jun. 23, 1985, a mid-air explosion killed 329 people on board Air India Flight 182, including 270 Canadians. Two Japanese baggage-handlers died in a related incident at Tokyo’s Narita Airport.

Canadians are more likely to say that the bombing is a Canadian tragedy (45%) than to see it as an Indian affair (23%). A majority of British Columbians (53%) and almost half of Ontarians (48%) regard the attack as a Canadian tragedy.

Two-in-five Canadians believe Canada is currently just as vulnerable to a terrorist attack similar to the 1985 Air India bombing, while 25 per cent think the country is less vulnerable now, and 23 per cent regard it as more vulnerable.

Responsibility

Respondents were asked whether four entities deserve the blame for the Air India bombing. At least three-in-five Canadians believe that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) (61%) and Airport Security Personnel (60%) deserve “a great deal” or “a moderate amount” of blame. Half of Canadians (50%) blame the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and 47 per cent point the finger at Transport Canada.

In British Columbia, CSIS is blamed by three-in-four respondents (77%), followed by Airport Security Personnel (73%), the RCMP (63%) and Transport Canada (58%).

The Major Inquiry

The public judicial inquiry headed by former Supreme Court justice John Major issued its final report on the Air India bombing on Jun. 17. Its main recommendation was expanding the role of Canada’s national security adviser and allowing this person to sort out disputes between the RCMP and CSIS. Roughly three-in-four Canadians (73%) believe that this is the right course of action.

Canadians are split on the idea that race was a factor in how the initial investigation into the 1985 Air India bombing was handled, with 38 per cent agreeing that this was the case, and 37 per cent disagreeing. Respondents in British Columbia are more likely to believe that race played a role (50%) than those in other provinces.

Our February 2008 survey on the Air India bombing can be accessed here.

Our May 2007 survey on the Air India bombing can be accessed here.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

From June 17 to June 18, 2010, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1.008 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.