(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Canadian adults believe a Conservative majority government would expand the role of private health care providers in the country, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies released by the Toronto Star. 66 per cent of respondents believe this situation is likely to happen if the Tories have a majority in the House of Commons.

In addition, 64 per cent of respondents think the Conservatives would reduce funding for programs related to the arts and film, 47 per cent expect taxes to be kept low across the entire country, 44 per cent foresee a balanced budget for the entire legislative term, and 42 per cent expect the Tories to implement a process to allow Canadians to elect their senators.

Less than two-in-five believe a Conservative majority would subdue the threat of separatism in Quebec, repeal the legislation that allows same-sex couples to marry, or recriminalize abortion.

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 December 2006, former environment minister Stéphane Dion became the new leader of the Liberals.

On Sept. 26, Harper called on voters to support his party, saying, "I say we need a strong mandate. I could say a stronger mandate. What we have seen increasingly is the other parties working together (...) and certainly all articulating a direction for the Canadian economy that would be totally different than this government and that has me very worried obviously about the pressure that they could bring to bear."

On Sept. 27, deputy Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff criticized Harper’s style, saying, "We’re not choosing the dad of the year. We’re not choosing sweater man. Were not choosing an attack dog. We’re not choosing a president. We’re choosing a government."

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

Polling Data

Suppose for a moment that the Conservative Party forms a majority government after the next federal election. How likely do you think each of the following situations is to happen under a Conservative majority government?

Source: Angus Reid Strategies / Toronto Star
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,508 Canadian adults, conducted on Sept. 24 and Sept. 25, 2008. Margin of error is 2.9 per cent.

Archive Search

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