(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in Canada believe the Green party should have a representative in the House of Commons, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 58 per cent of respondents think it is important for Canada to have a Green party federal lawmaker.

Canadians renewed the House of Commons in January 2006. The Conservative party—led by Stephen Harper—received 36.3 per cent of the vote, and secured 124 seats in the 308-member lower house. Harper formed a minority administration after more than 12 years of government by the Liberal party.

In the January 2006 ballot, the Greens—led by Jim Harris—received 4.5 per cent of the vote but secured no seats in the House of Commons. In August 2006, Sierra Club of Canada head Elizabeth May became the new leader of the Greens.

On Aug. 30, Blair Wilson—elected as a Liberal candidate in 2006, but sitting in the House of Commons as an independent—joined the Green party.

Last month, May discussed her policies to deal with poverty and drug abuse, saying, "Economic deprivation has no place in a country as wealthy as Canada, and we can end it. The need to provide real help for people suffering from addiction is not something we can ignore."

Polling Data

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? - It is important for Canada to have a Green Party Member of Parliament.

Source: Angus Reid Strategies
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,004 Canadian adults, conducted on Sept. 23 and Sept. 24, 2008. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.

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