Canadians want troops home by 2009: poll

[GAP]

Canadians want troops home by 2009: poll
Tue Apr 24 2007
Article Link

OTTAWA -- Almost two-thirds of Canadians say the country's troops in Afghanistan should be brought home on schedule by February 2009, a new national poll says.
The poll, conducted exclusively by Ipsos-Reid for CanWest News Service and Global National, also said a slim majority of Canadians -- 52 per cent -- expressed support for the troops role in Afghanistan despite a rash of eight deaths in the field since Easter Sunday.

The poll, conducted last Tuesday through Thursday, is the first time Ipsos-Reid has asked Canadians whether Canada's troop commitment should go beyond February 2009.

The findings land as MPs prepared to vote today on a Liberal motion limiting the Afghanistan mission to February 2009.

Although the Opposition motion is expected to win easy approval with the backing of the Bloc Quebecois, the vote will not topple the minority Conservative government because Harper did not use his prerogative to declare the motion a matter of confidence.
More on link

 

[vonGarvin]

Canadians want troops home by 2009: poll
Tue Apr 24 2007
Article Link

OTTAWA -- Almost two-thirds of Canadians say the country's troops in Afghanistan should be brought home on schedule by February 2009, a new national poll says.
The poll, conducted exclusively by Ipsos-Reid for CanWest News Service and Global National, also said a slim majority of Canadians -- 52 per cent -- expressed support for the troops role in Afghanistan despite a rash of eight deaths in the field since Easter Sunday.

The poll, conducted last Tuesday through Thursday, is the first time Ipsos-Reid has asked Canadians whether Canada's troop commitment should go beyond February 2009.

The findings land as MPs prepared to vote today on a Liberal motion limiting the Afghanistan mission to February 2009.

Although the Opposition motion is expected to win easy approval with the backing of the Bloc Quebecois, the vote will not topple the minority Conservative government because Harper did not use his prerogative to declare the motion a matter of confidence.
More on link

I thought that the motion was NOT expected to win given the NDP's utter disdain for our mission over there.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/04/24/liberal-motion.html
"A Liberal motion that would ensure Canada end its combat operations in southern Afghanistan by February 2009 is slated to be voted on in the House of Commons Tuesday, but it is not expected to pass.
The NDP is expected to join the Conservatives in defeating the motion, which was introduced by Liberal defence critic Denis Coderre on April 19."

 

[GAP]

You can't expect to get the answer you want if you go on telling the truth....come on now!!

 

[MG34]

The only reason taliban jack and his cronies will not back the bill is that the Conservatives have said they will make the issue a confidence item. The NDP cannot afford an election at this time (nor can the Lieberals) so it will die a swift death,and we will carry on as if normal.

 

[vonGarvin]

The only reason taliban jack and his cronies will not back the bill is that the Conservatives have said they will make the issue a confidence item. The NDP cannot afford an election at this time (nor can the Lieberals) so it will die a swift death,and we will carry on as if normal.

I hadn't heard that (about the conservatives making this a confidence item).  Do you have a source?

Thanks in advance


(PS: Love your tag line: "Infantry, let us prey")  :threat:

 

[observor 69]

The only reason taliban jack and his cronies will not back the bill is that the Conservatives have said they will make the issue a confidence item. The NDP cannot afford an election at this time (nor can the Lieberals) so it will die a swift death,and we will carry on as if normal.

My understanding is "Mr.Layton" wants all the troops out "now" so he is won't support a Liberal bill to leave the troops until Feb. 2009. Or in other words he will support the government.

I also heard that it is not a confidence vote.

 

[JackD]

ahh yes, a 'poll' - before I believe the results I'd like to see the specs of this poll -  the exact question, a breakdown of the responders as to age, income, education, location... Polls... Meaningless junk

 

[stealthylizard]

Why don't I ever get polled? ???

 

[Mike Baker]

Why don't I ever get polled? ???

Hehe, I never do either.

ahh yes, a 'poll' - before I believe the results I'd like to see the specs of this poll -  the exact question, a breakdown of the responders as to age, income, education, location... Polls... Meaningless junk

+1.

 

[Jaydub]

MPs defeat motion to pull troops from Afghanistan by 2009
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 24, 2007 | 6:06 PM ET
CBC News
A Liberal motion to end Canadian combat operations in southern Afghanistan by February 2009 was defeated in the House of Commons on Tuesday.

The NDP joined the Conservatives in defeating the motion, which lost by a close vote of 150-134.

NDP Leader Jack Layton said the vote was nothing more than a green light for an extension to the mission. The NDP wants the troops out immediately.

"We think it's wrong. It's two years too long for a mission that is wrong for Canada and is not going to produce a military success," Layton told CBC News.

The motion, introduced by Liberal defence critic Denis Coderre on April 19, called on the government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper to serve notice immediately to NATO that Canada will withdraw its troops from Afghanistan in February 2009.

Coderre said Tuesday that the federal government needed to be clear about its timetable for withdrawing troops from Afghanistan.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/04/24/liberal-motion.html

It's interesting that the NDP did not support the motion.  I know it's because Layton wants the troops withdrawn right away, but what are the chances of that happening?

 

[vonGarvin]

Funny how that article first quoted Taliban Jack Layton, and not Denis Coderre (who introduced the motion) or a member of the Government.

 

[scas]

Well.. everyone likes taliban Jack.

 

[The Bread Guy]

ahh yes, a 'poll' - before I believe the results I'd like to see the specs of this poll -  the exact question, a breakdown of the responders as to age, income, education, location... Polls... Meaningless junk

Here you go...

News release - Tables with questions and more information (.pdf)

Despite Recent Troops Fatalities, Majority Of Canadians (52%) Support Role Of Canada’s Troops In Afghanistan
However, Two Thirds (63%) Want Canada’s Troops to Come Home on Schedule by February 2009
Ipsos-Reid news release, 24 Apr 07

Despite a week that witnessed the death of eight Canadian troops in Afghanistan and their repatriation to Canada, a majority of Canadians (52%) expressed their support for the role of Canada’s troops in Afghanistan according to the latest poll conducted by Ipsos Reid for CanWest and Global TV. However, nearly two thirds of Canadians (63%) say that the country’s troops in Afghanistan should be brought home on schedule, in February 2009.

Tracking support for the role of Canada’s troops in Afghanistan over time shows that support has rebounded since November 2, 2006, when fewer than half of Canadians (44%) lent their support to the mission. Since last March, support for the war in Afghanistan has hovered in the mid-fifty-percent range, with a high of 57% support measured on two occasions (September 28 and May 18, 2006) and the lowest levels of support measured on November 2 (44%) and July 27, 2006 (47%).

These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted for CanWest News Service/Global News and fielded from April 17-19, 2007. For this survey, a representative randomly selected sample of 1001 adult Canadians was interviewed by telephone. With a sample of this size, the aggregate results are considered accurate to within ± 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within each sub-grouping of the survey population. These data were weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data.

Majority Support the Involvement of Canada’s Troops in Afghanistan

Just over half of Canadians (52%) support the use of Canada’s troops for security and combat efforts against the Taliban and Al Qaida in Afghanistan, while 43% oppose. At either extreme, the proportion that strongly supports (23%) the use of Canada’s troops in Afghanistan equals the proportion that strongly opposes the use of Canada’s troops in Afghanistan (24%).

Those significantly more likely to support the use of Canada’s troops in Afghanistan include:

    * Residents of Alberta (66%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (59%) and Atlantic Canada (57%) compared to Quebec (37%);

    * Older respondents (35-54 years, 56% and 55 years and older, 55%) compared to younger respondents (18-34 years: 44%);

    * Men (57%) compared with women (47%); and,

    * Those with a higher household income ($60,000 or more: 55%) compared to those with a lower income (less than $30,000: 44%).

Most Canadians Want Troops Home on Schedule

Nearly two in three Canadians (63%) say that Canada’s troops should come home in February 2009 as scheduled. One in three (32%) say the troops should have their mission extended to a time when joint political and military officials feel the country is stable and self supporting.

Those significantly more likely to say Canada’s troops should come home in February 2009 as scheduled include:

    * Residents of Atlantic Canada (73%) and Quebec (69%);

    * Younger respondents (18-34 years: 67%); and,

    * Women (68%).

Those significantly more likely to say that Canada’s troops should have their mission extended to a time when joint political and military officials feel the country is stable and self-supporting include:

    * Residents of Alberta (45%); and,

    * Men (38%).

 

[scas]

Hey I got an idea.. Why not ask the guys and girls that are over there or going over there what they want?

 

[Mike Baker]

Hey I got an idea.. Why not ask the guys and girls that are over there or going over there what they want?

They would, almost most definitely, would still go, for Queen and Country!

 

[vangemeren]

Am I reading the graph wrong, or are the intervals between polls very irregular?

 

[CrazyCanuck]

Hey I got an idea.. Why not ask the guys and girls that are over there or going over there what they want?

Doesn't matter what they want, this is a democracy and if the people so choose then we are to obey. (They(the people) will use an election to choose not a poll; with the exception of the NDP)

 

[Steenburg]

You can not fight a war based on opinion polls. There is simply to much ignorance in the genrail public for anyone to make an informed decision. I personally have never been polled concerning the war but i have been polled on other issues and in allmost all cases I've have said to the pollster, "What a stupid way to ask a question" The best example was during the late 1980s when cruse missile testing was being conducted over northen Alberta. I got a call which asked, "Do you favor the missile testing or do you favor world peace"? I guess if you approved the test you were assumed not to favor world peace??? Polls allmost allways have a way of coming out which ever way the group sponsoring the poll wants.  Remember during the charlet town referendum during Mulroney's time in office allmost all the polls said right up to the night of the vote that the yes side was going to have a cake walk. Than the following morning when the exact opposite happens they were all scrambling trying to figure out why they were so wrong!

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Gee I wonder why I never get called on these polls.....guess I am flagged as "unsuitable" 

 

[The Bread Guy]

Gee I wonder why I never get called on these polls.....guess I am flagged as "unsuitable" 

I wouldn't read too much into not being called for these surveys, when you consider that you have one chance in 32,745 of being called (1,001 surveyed, vs latest Stats Can population estimate of 32,777,304) - that's less than 400 from all of Ontario, about 76 from Toronto, 23 from NB, 104 from AB, 4 or so from PEI.... you get the picture.

You can not fight a war based on opinion polls. There is simply to much ignorance in the genrail public for anyone to make an informed decision.

Problem is, though, that these same people vote for the folks who set the course of the ship of government, so one of the tools used to see what people "think" is this sort of polling.  In a democracy, that's how it works. 

Is the system perfect?  Don't think so (how well does polling REALLY reflect public will?  does your vote for an MP mean an endorsement of the individual or the party?  how does one get the entire picture to voters before they decide on such things?) - but these have debated here and there at great length/depth elsewhere on the boards here.

Polls allmost allways have a way of coming out which ever way the group sponsoring the poll wants.

Like many other consultants that are hired....