(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Adults in Canada offer differing views on their current federal administration, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 25 per cent of respondents think the Conservative government has performed adequately and deserves to stay in office with a minority, while 19 per cent believe the Tories have performed well and deserve a majority in the House of Commons.

Conversely, 35 per cent of respondents say the Conservatives have performed poorly, and do not deserve to form a government after the next election.

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 leads a minority administration after more than 12 years of government by the Liberal party.

As part of his 2006 campaign platform, Harper presented five key priorities to Canadians. 64 per cent of respondents are satisfied with the reduction in the Goods and Services Tax (GST), while more than 40 per cent are content with the way the government has dealt with cleaning up government by passing the Federal Accountability Act, and helping parents with the cost of raising their children.

Conversely, 59 per cent of respondents are dissatisfied with the way the Tories have dealt with cracking down on crime, and 57 per cent are displeased with the progress in establishing a health care Patient Wait Times Guarantee.

An early election could be triggered if the Conservative government loses a confidence vote in the House of Commons. On Oct. 11, Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe expressed disappointment with Harper’s tenure, saying, "The federal government broke its promises to Quebecers. Harper lies when he says that the fiscal imbalance has been settled. It’s not true, it’s simply not true, and it’s dishonest."

Today, the Tories will present their government plan in the traditional Speech from the Throne, read by governor-general Michaëlle Jean. Canadian finance minister Jim Flaherty hinted at some new fiscal measures, saying, "We’ve already committed to reducing personal income taxes and reducing corporate taxes more. Canadians pay too much tax. You can expect to see more of that in the future."

Polling Data

Which of these statements comes closer to your own point of view?

How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way the government has dealt with the following issues?

Source: Angus Reid Strategies
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,179 Canadian adults, conducted on Oct. 8 and Oct. 9, 2007. Margin of error is 3.0 per cent.

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