(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - A majority of Canadians would like to have a head of government who transcends party lines, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 51 per cent of respondents think it is more important for a prime minister to work with the opposition to reach consensus on issues.

Conversely, 33 per cent of respondents would prefer to have a prime minister who sets a political agenda and sticks to it despite resistance.

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.

On Sept. 17, Harper said he "would not tolerate" opposition obstruction of a series of measures to deal with crime, saying, "All parties will say in this election they support these things. In reality they don’t, they come from a different school. They don’t favour this approach. That’s why they’re already squawking about the fact I say I’ll make some of these things confidence measures, because they don’t want to pass them."

The next federal election in Canada is scheduled for Oct. 14.

Polling Data

What do you think is more important for a prime minister of Canada?

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.

Archive Search

Over 19,600 Polls
Search the Angus Reid Global Monitor Polls & Research archive.