(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in Canada believe the leaked conversations between Canadian government officials and advisers of U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama have hurt their federal administration, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 49 per cent of respondents think the leaks have greatly or moderately impacted the credibility of the Canadian government.

In addition, 39 per cent of respondents think the leaks were intentional, and 37 per cent believe the incidents have greatly or moderately impacted the U.S. presidential race.

The so-called NAFTA-gate refers to three separate leaks: a Feb. 26 remark by Ian Brodie, chief of staff to Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper, who alleged that U.S. Democratic Party presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton was kidding about renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); a report by CTV claiming that Obama’s campaign had told Canada that his attacks on NAFTA were not serious; and a Canadian diplomatic memo obtained by the Associated Press, which cites Obama’s economic adviser Austan Goolsbee saying to Canada’s consul-general in Chicago, Georges Rioux, that Obama’s statements about NAFTA "should be viewed as more about political positioning than a clear articulation of policy plans."

On Mar. 5, Harper discussed the issue, saying, "This kind of leaking of information is completely unacceptable and in fact—it may well be illegal. It is not useful, it is not in the interests of the government of Canada, and the way the leak was executed (...) was blatantly unfair to Senator Obama and his campaign." The Canadian prime minister said his government will "take any action that is necessary to get to the bottom of this."

New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jack Layton said the leaks had an impact on the U.S. primaries, saying, "There is no question that act has had an influence on the results. How Harper’s government could have imagined this could benefit Canada is beyond me."

Polling Data

As you may know, the media has reported on details of leaked conversations between Canadian government officials and advisers of U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama. From what you have seen, read, or heard, do you think the leaks were executed intentionally or accidentally by Canadian government officials?

How much do you think these leaks have impacted the credibility of the Canadian government?

How much do you think these leaks have impacted the U.S. presidential race?

Source: Angus Reid Strategies
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,038 Canadian adults, conducted on Mar. 6 and Mar. 7, 2008. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.

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