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Canadians Not Particularly Ready for Terrorism
(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many adults in Canada believe their country is not adequately prepared to face an act of terrorism, according to a poll by Ipsos-Reid released by CFRB and CanWest Global. 57 per cent of respondents believe the government, as well as police, emergency and medical personnel are not ready to deal with an attack in a Canadian city.
On Jul. 7, four blasts in London killed at least 53 people and injured 700 more. Investigators say three British nationals of Pakistani descent and a Jamaican-born man were responsible for the explosions at three underground stations and a double-decker bus. Authorities believe the event was a coordinated suicide bombing, the first to ever occur in Western Europe.
On Jul. 11, Canadian public safety minister and deputy prime minister Anne McLellan said the country should be prepared for any possibility, declaring, "I think we have for too long thought that these were things that happen somewhere else. (...) What we have to do is determine what the real risks are, and try and make sure we're spending our resources in the most effective way where we believe our risks assessments tell us." 44 per cent of respondents are worried about the threat of terrorism in Canada.
Canadian soldiers are currently participating in the war on terrorism in Afghanistan. In March 2003, the federal government—headed at the time by Liberal prime minister Jean Chrétien—did not back the invasion of Iraq.
Polling Data
Do you agree or disagree with this statement? - All levels of government, as well as police, emergency and medical personnel are adequately prepared to deal with a terrorist attack in a Canadian city.
Agree | 41% |
Disagree | 57% |
Don't know | 2% |
Are you currently worried about the threat of terrorism in Canada?
Worried | 44% |
Not worried | 52% |
Don't know | 4% |
Source: Ipsos-Reid / CFRB / CanWest Global
Methodology: Telephone interviews to 1,001 Canadian adults, conducted from Jul. 12 to Jul. 14, 2005. Margin of error is 3.4 per cent.