Polls & Research

Canadians Chide Harper for Commons Uproar

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many Canadian adults believe their prime minister made a mistake in using a newspaper article to link an opposition politician to an ongoing criminal investigation, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 57 per cent of respondents disapprove of Stephen Harper's actions.

On Feb. 21 in the House of Commons, Harper responded to a question related to the way his government appoints judges, saying, "Obviously, the Liberal party opposes the change we have made. (...) I am not surprised, given what I am reading in the Vancouver Sun today, when I realize this is how the Liberal party makes decisions." Harper attempted to read the first sentence of an article, but was heckled by Liberal lawmakers.

The article in questions claims that the father-in-law of Mississauga-Brampton South member of parliament Navdeep Bains, Darshan Singh Saini, is on a list of potential witnesses who could be compelled to testify in the ongoing criminal investigation of the Air India bombings. On Jun. 23, 1985, a mid-air explosion killed the 329 people aboard Air India Flight 182. Two Japanese baggage-handlers died in a related incident at Tokyo's Narita Airport.

Bains—a member of the Liberal party—expressed dismay at Harper's suggestion, saying, "He's playing politics with families. And, I mean, when this tragic event took place I was nine years old." 49 per cent of respondents think Harper should apologize to Bains.

Before the House of Commons incident, the Conservative government claimed that the Liberal party was divided on whether several measures allowed by the Anti-Terrorism Act should be extended. 65 per cent of respondents think the provisions—which include giving police the power to make preventive arrests of people suspected of planning a terrorist attack, and requiring anyone with information relevant to the investigation of a terrorist act to appear before a judge—are adequate and should be extended.

Polling Data

Last Wednesday in the House of Commons, Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper relied on a newspaper article to link the relative of a Liberal Member of Parliament to the ongoing criminal investigation into the 1985 Air India bombings. Do you approve or disapprove of Harper using the newspaper article in this manner?

Mississauga-Brampton South MP Navdeep Bains claims the prime minister's actions attacked his integrity and the integrity of his family, and has requested an apology from Stephen Harper. Do you think the Prime Minister should apologize?

As you may know, some provisions in the Canadian Anti-Terrorism Act, which was implemented in December 2001, will expire at the end of this month. These measures include giving police the power to make preventive arrests of people suspected of planning a terrorist attack, and requiring anyone with information relevant to the investigation of a terrorist act to appear before a judge. Which of these statements comes closest to your own view?

Complete Poll (PDF)