Support for Bill C-51 split evenly

Fewer now see ISIS as direct threat

TORONTO September 16th, 2015 - In a random sampling of public opinion taken by the Forum Poll™ among 1402 Canadian voters, 4-in-10 support Bill C-51, the new anti-terror legislation (41%) while just fewer oppose the bill (37%). More than a fifth can’t make up their minds (22%). Opposition to the bill is characteristic of the youngest (47%), males (42%), the very wealthiest ($100K to $250K - 44%), in Atlantic Canada (50%) and BC (50%) but less so in Quebec (30%), among New Democrats (61%) but not among Conservatives (10%) obviously. These findings compare to June, 2015 (support - 39%, oppose - 41%, don’t know - 20%).





Vote switching on this issue favours NDP

While as many Canadians are less likely to vote Conservative as are more likely to do so (15% and 16%, respectively) because of Bill C-51, and as many will be more likely to vote Liberal (10%) as are less likely to do so (7%), the number more willing to vote NDP on this issue (16%) is twice those less likely to vote the party (8%).





Fewer now see ISIS as a direct threat

Just more than one half of Canadian voters see ISIS as a direct threat to Canada (55%), while 3-in-10 disagree this is the case (30%). Just more than a tenth don’t know if this is the case (14%). This compares with January, 2015, at the beginning of the Mid East mission, when agreement ISIS was a threat was characteristic of two thirds (67%).





“On the one hand, Bill C-51 doesn’t arouse the general public anger the NDP seems to expect, and many people support it. On the other hand, there is seen to be less support for viewing ISIS as a direct threat to Canada, which is a concept that underpins most of our strategy in the Mid East," said Forum Research President, Dr. Lorne Bozinoff.

Lorne Bozinoff, Ph.D. is the president and founder of Forum Research. He can be reached at lbozinoff@forumresearch.com or at (416) 960-9603.